Byrd Droppings (feat. Anna Bower; Bobby Kogan)

Summary

The Daily Beans - Episode Summary: "Byrd Droppings (feat. Anna Bower; Bobby Kogan)"

Release Date: June 24, 2025

Hosts: Alison Gill and Dana Goldberg
Guests: Anna Bower, Bobby Kogan

---

1. International Tensions and Missile Strikes

The episode opens with Alison Gill outlining a significant escalation in Middle Eastern geopolitics. Iran has launched missile attacks on U.S. bases in Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Iraq. These strikes appear to be "performative retaliation" against former President Trump's controversial bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities. Notably, no casualties or significant damage were reported, as the targets were pre-warned two hours in advance.

Alison Gill (00:00):
"Iran fires missiles at U.S. bases in Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Iraq in what is seen as a performative retaliation to Trump's unconstitutional bombing of Iranian nuclear enrichment sites."

Despite the tension, both Alison and Dana express uncertainty about the broader implications of these actions. Trump is vocally concerned about potential oil price hikes due to disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz but lacks concrete intelligence to back his claims.

Dana Goldberg (05:22):
"Are we in trouble? Is this theatrics? What the fuck is going on?"

The situation thickens with Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu both calling for a regime change, followed by a sudden announcement of a ceasefire. Dana reads a convoluted statement from Trump declaring a 12-Day War with staggered ceasefire timings between Iran and Israel, which both hosts immediately question due to conflicting reports from CNN stating that Iran has not received any ceasefire proposal.

Alison Gill (05:35):
"At this very moment, the enemy is committing aggression against Iran, and Iran is on the verge of intensifying its retaliatory strikes with no ear to listen to the lies of its enemies."

The hosts lament the apparent incompetence at the White House, highlighting the chaotic communication surrounding the ceasefire.

2. Supreme Court and Immigration Policies

The discussion shifts to domestic issues, specifically the Supreme Court's recent decision to block a judge's order that forbids the removal of immigrants to third countries. This ruling has significant implications for immigrants facing deportation, as lawyers for California Governor Gavin Newsom are now seeking a preliminary injunction to prevent Trump's potential deployment of the military to California, arguing it violates the Posse Comitatus Act.

Alison Gill (08:09):
"In a brief unsigned order that did not explain its reasoning, the court put on hold a federal judge's ruling that said those affected nationwide should have a, quote, meaningful opportunity to bring claims that they would be at risk of torture, prosecution or death if they were sent to countries the administration had made deals with."

3. Senate Democrats vs. Billionaire Bailout Bill

A significant portion of the episode delves into the Senate Democrats' efforts to challenge and remove problematic provisions from a sweeping billionaire bailout bill. Utilizing the Byrd Rule, which restricts budget reconciliation packages to provisions that directly affect the federal budget, Democrats have successfully contested around 60 provisions pushed by Republicans. These provisions included:

• Defunding the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)
• Significant cuts to SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program)
• Imposing bond requirements for parties seeking preliminary injunctions against federal policies

Bobby Kogan (31:03):
"The Byrd Rule is a specific limitation in the Senate... it takes 60 votes to pass anything. But if you are going through budget reconciliation, then you can do it in only 51 votes as long as you stick to specific rules."

One notable victory was preventing the defunding of the CFPB, with Democrats arguing that the bureau plays a crucial role in protecting consumers and maintaining financial stability. Additionally, attempts to alter SNAP by shifting more costs to states were struck down as merely incidental and thus against the Byrd Rule.

4. ICE Detainment of a Marine Corps Veteran's Family

The hosts highlight a poignant human interest story about Adrian Clowder, a Marine Corps veteran, whose wife was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) while she was still breastfeeding their infant. This incident underscores the harsh realities faced by military families under stringent immigration enforcement policies.

Dana Goldberg (16:41):
"Filing fees for merit systems Protection Board claims and appeals has been taken out. Bonuses for cost cutters, charging labor organizations for the use of federal resources."

5. Democratic Protest at the Kennedy Center

In a bold symbolic gesture, five Democratic senators rented a theater at the Kennedy Center to host a Pride concert titled "Love is Love." This event served as a protest against President Trump's attempted takeover of the prestigious performing arts venue. The concert featured Broadway artists performing songs and readings that celebrated the LGBTQ+ community, emphasizing resilience and inclusion.

Alison Gill (17:36):
"Chose this week to do this event because June, as we know, has long been when supporters of the gay community have celebrated Pride Month and will continue."

6. Underground Resistance in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)

A compelling segment covers the underground resistance forming within the VA in response to the Trump administration's ban on gender-affirming care for transgender veterans. Three VA doctors and a transgender patient, speaking anonymously, detailed their covert efforts to continue providing necessary medical care despite strict administrative prohibitions.

Doctor (19:23):
"We're being surveilled. We're told to report each other for using the word transgender, but we're resisting strategically, quietly, because our patients' lives are on the line."

This movement is described as "Lavender Scare 2.0," drawing parallels to the historical persecution of LGBTQ+ individuals. The doctors employ tactics like coded referrals and partnerships with LGBTQ+-affirming clinics to ensure veterans receive the care they need.

7. Good Trouble: Anna Bower's Advocacy

In the Good Trouble segment, guest Anna Bower shares a deeply personal story about her niece, Hope, a four-year-old battling a rare mitochondrial disorder known as MLS syndrome. Hope's condition involves severe symptoms, including deafness, blindness, and a critical heart condition. Last year, Hope began treatment with olamipretide, an experimental drug that stabilized her heart function and significantly improved her quality of life.

However, despite receiving endorsement from an FDA advisory committee, the Trump administration denied approval for olamipretide. Anna details the bureaucratic hurdles faced in advocating for the drug’s approval, emphasizing the drug's life-changing impact on Hope.

Anna Bower (24:10):
"Hope went on this medication. It was still going through the FDA review process at the time. And it really was just life changing for her... We're now in this situation in which we're advocating for the FDA to reconsider its decision."

The segment serves as a call to action for listeners to contact the FDA and their elected representatives to support the approval of this vital medication.

8. Budget Reconciliation Deep Dive with Bobby Kogan

Returning to the Hot Notes segment, budget expert Bobby Kogan provides an in-depth analysis of the Byrd Rule's application in the context of the current billionaires' bailout bill. He explains the meticulous process Democratic staffers undertake to identify and challenge provisions that violate the Byrd Rule, thereby making the bill less harmful by removing key problematic elements.

Bobby Kogan (32:02):
"The Byrd Rule is adjudicated provision by provision, but provision is undefined. It could be as much as... a single word or just a clause."

Kogan highlights successful removals, such as:

• Governing Reform of Administrative Agencies: Preventing attempts to reorganize federal departments in ways that undermine existing regulations.
• Civil Service Protections: Blocking provisions aimed at stripping civil service protections for new federal employees, thereby safeguarding job security for government workers.

He also discusses the potential for Republicans to ignore or fire the parliamentarian, though he expresses skepticism about this possibility due to the high stakes involved.

Bobby Kogan (45:12):
"The procedure of the Senate lets a majority do whatever it wants to do. But Republicans are scared to go down that full thing because once you are there, you've effectively nuked the filibuster."

Despite the overall negative nature of the bill—which includes historic cuts to Medicaid and SNAP, and removal of over 10 million people from health insurance—these victories by Democratic staffers are portrayed as crucial in mitigating the bill's worst impacts.

9. Good News: Listener Submissions

The Good News segment features uplifting stories and personal anecdotes from listeners, fostering a sense of community and resilience. Highlights include:

• Celeste's Protest Experience (50:20): Celeste describes her solo protest with a "no Kings" sign in Oklahoma City, emphasizing the importance of speaking out despite personal anxiety and challenging conditions.

  Celeste (50:42):
  "We don't have to do everything, but we can all do something."

• Jenny's Canvassing Efforts (52:17): Jenny shares her experience canvassing for Brad Lander in the New York primary election, inspiring her 12-year-old son to understand the importance of protecting neighbors.

  Jenny (52:18):
  "I thought the protest was going to be like a riot where they're fighting against the government and I was going to be trapped. But instead, it was fun because we were serving our country."

• Patty V's Family Adoption Story (55:35): After losing their cat, Patty V. and her family adopt a dog named Vetter, highlighting the joy and companionship pets bring during tough times.

These narratives are interspersed with adorable pet photos and heartfelt messages, reinforcing the podcast's commitment to spreading positivity and community support amidst ongoing political and social turmoil.

10. Closing Thoughts and Call to Action

Alison Gill wraps up the episode by acknowledging the overwhelming amount of concerning news covered. She encourages listeners to stay informed, engage in activism, and support each other through both advocacy and personal connections.

Alison Gill (58:29):
"I'd like to apologize to the listeners of the daily meetings for not having much of a cogent beginning response to what's going on in the world. I just, I am at a loss for how to respond."

The episode concludes with a reminder for listeners to submit their own good news or “good trouble” stories, fostering an ongoing dialogue of support and resistance.

---

Key Takeaways:

• International Relations: Heightened tensions between Iran and the U.S. with potential for escalation amid unclear ceasefire arrangements.

• Domestic Policies: Supreme Court's rulings impacting immigration enforcement; Democrats actively contesting and mitigating harmful provisions in major budget bills using the Byrd Rule.

• Human Impact: Personal stories highlight the real-life consequences of political decisions, from immigration detentions to restricted healthcare for transgender veterans.

• Activism and Resilience: Despite significant challenges, individuals and groups continue to engage in meaningful protest, advocacy, and community-building efforts.

Notable Quotes:

• Dana Goldberg (05:22):
  "Are we in trouble? Is this theatrics? What the fuck is going on?"

• Doctor within VA (19:23):
  "We're being surveilled. We're told to report each other for using the word transgender, but we're resisting strategically, quietly, because our patients' lives are on the line."

• Anna Bower (24:10):
  "Hope went on this medication. It was still going through the FDA review process at the time. And it really was just life changing for her."

• Bobby Kogan (31:03):
  "The Byrd Rule is a specific limitation in the Senate... it takes 60 votes to pass anything. But if you are going through budget reconciliation, then you can do it in only 51 votes as long as you stick to specific rules."

---

Conclusion:
In this episode, Alison Gill and Dana Goldberg navigate a complex landscape of geopolitical tensions, domestic policy battles, and heartfelt personal stories. The hosts and their guests provide insightful analysis and inspiring narratives that underscore the ongoing struggle for social justice and political integrity. Through informed discussions and community-focused segments, "The Daily Beans" continues to empower listeners to stay engaged and supportive in challenging times.

Transcript

[Alison Gill]

MSW Media. Hello, and welcome to the Daily beans for Tuesday, June 24, 2020. 2025. Today, Iran fires missiles at U.S. bases in Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Iraq in what is seen as a performative retaliation to Trump's unconstitutional bombing of Iranian nuclear enrichment sites. The Supreme Court has blocked a judge's order forbidding removal of immigrants to third countries. Lawyers for Gavin Newsom have asked the district court to consider a preliminary injunction to block Trump's deployment of the military to California as a violation of the Posse Comitatus Act. Democrats in the Senate are winning their arguments before the parliamentarian on multiple provisions in the billionaire bailout bill. ICE had detained a Marine Corps veteran's wife who was still breastfeeding their baby. Democrats will protest Trump's takeover of the Kennedy center with a Pride event. And there is an underground resistance inside the Department of Veterans affairs against Trump's ban on care for transgender veterans. I'm Alison Gill.

[Dana Goldberg]

And I'm Dana Goldberg.

[Alison Gill]

Hey, Dana. Welcome back.

[Dana Goldberg]

Thank you. And thanks for covering me while I traveled to the East Coast. I'm always happy to be back with you, so I appreciate it.

[Alison Gill]

It is my pleasure. It's my pleasure. My. Everyone's like, is she gone? Is she coming back? Where's Dana? She's come. She's always coming back.

[Dana Goldberg]

I'm always coming back.

[Alison Gill]

Until you hear otherwise.

[Dana Goldberg]

Oh, my God, don't say that.

[Alison Gill]

No, I mean, you know, hey, you might get super famous and get a TV show or something and then I'm hoping.

[Dana Goldberg]

But I also. That makes me sad. Let's not talk about it yet, okay?

[Alison Gill]

All right. You can always find time for the beans. There's always room for be everybody. Let's talk about Iran for a minute. So a lot has happened since yesterday. We've had attacks on US Bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iraq, but nobody was hurt. No damage. They were told two hours ahead of time to expect it. So it looks like just sort of a performative. This is our retaliation. We're going to send as many bombs as you sent, because if we don't, that looks weird. I don't understand the rules, but that's how it goes. Hopefully not an escalation here. Now Trump is going bananas about potential oil price increases because of the straight of Hormuz, which we predicted could be a problem. But he's begging, please don't raise. Please don't raise the oil prices. You guys, come on, drill and, you know, sure, whatever. I guess that's the way to fix that. Or you could just not bomb Iran the 60% enriched uranium and equipment was not at the sites that we struck, that Trump struck. I should say we. The royal we, you and I didn't have anything to do with it. If we, if we had our druthers, we would have Kamala Harris as the President of the United States. But all the equipment and the stuff and the people were moved out. And that's because of Trump's, according to the New York Times, saber rattling that he's been doing on True Social. So you don't even need a signal chat leak to be warned about what Trump's about to do. No US intel was used. It was based on vibes, apparently. Gut instinct. There is a call in Congress to find out what intel was used, if there was. Also, Trump and Bibi called for a regime change this morning, but now there's some sort of ceasefire. You sent this to me, Dana.

[Dana Goldberg]

I don't even know if I can read this. And not because, like, there's so much grammar problems that I'm not even sure. That's why I'm not sure if I can read it. It has nothing to do with my eyesight or anything else. Okay, Bear with me, everyone. It says congratulations to everyone. It has been fully agreed upon in between Israel and Iran that there will be a ceasefire and total ceasefire in approximately six hours from now, when Israel and Iran have wound down and completed their in progress final missions. So when they're done fake bombing each other, it's gonna be done for 12 hours, at which point the war will be considered ended. You guys can tell when I'm. When everything's capitalized, right? Okay? Yep. Ended. Officially. Iran will start the ceasefire, and upon the 12th hour, Israel will start the ceasefire. And upon the 24th hour, an official end to the 12 Day War will be saluted by the world. During each ceasefire, the other side will remain peaceful and respectful on the assumption that everything works as it should, which it will. I would like to congratulate both countries, Israel and Iran, on having the stamina, courage and intelligence to end what should be called now the 12 day war. This is a war that could have gone on for years and destroyed the entire Middle east, but it didn't and never will. God bless Israel. Sorry, the grammar. It's the grammar. And never will. God bless Israel, God bless Iran, God bless the Middle East, God bless the United States of America and God bless the world. Donald J. Trump, President of the United States of America. Now, the reason I was so quiet while you were going over those bullet points is in anyone else Listening to this podcast right now, and the only thing you can think to say is, allison, what the fuck is going on? I know.

[Alison Gill]

Yes. I wish I had better answers for you.

[Dana Goldberg]

Like, are we in trouble? Is this theatrics? What the fuck is going on? Who set this up? Why would they do this?

[Alison Gill]

A minute ago, CNN says Iran has not received any cease fire proposal and sees no reason for one.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah, correct. So that whole ceasefire, it's a ceasefire in 12 hours and 6 hours and 12 hours and Iran's.

[Alison Gill]

And then 24 hours and then 12 day wars. Yeah. The official said Iran would continue to fight until it achieves lasting peace and that it would view remarks from Israel and the US As a deception intended to justify the attacks on Iran's interests. Quote, at this very moment, the enemy is committing aggression against Iran, and Iran is on the verge of intensifying its retaliatory strikes with no ear to listen to the lies of its enemies. That's what the official in Iran said. And then after 20 minutes after the ceasefire, Israel unloaded a shitload of bombs on. On Iran. I mean, I don't mean to laugh at people bombing other countries, but I am not surprised at. At the incompetence at the White House.

[Dana Goldberg]

But I know neither of us know what's going on. I just don't understand. They had warnings.

[Alison Gill]

I don't even know how to report it.

[Dana Goldberg]

They move the arsenal. None of the things were destroyed. And then Trump's like, the entire arsenal has been destroyed. And set is like, we actually don't know where everything is because they moved it before we. Like, this is. I feel like we need a clown car.

[Bobby Kogan]

Just.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah, but with war. Yeah, Like, I don't even know how. I don't even know how to report this.

[Dana Goldberg]

I don't either. Okay. Maybe we should just move on. You all know what's. You all know this is a mess.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah. We'll keep giving you the updates. That's, like, the best we can do. I can't even analyze.

[Dana Goldberg]

I feel so drunk. And I haven't been drinking.

[Alison Gill]

Right. I haven't had a drink one, like, three, four months, and I'm like, I don't even.

[Dana Goldberg]

Did you also see the video of Hegseth behind Trump, who was definitely drinking and was like. They called me into work at midnight, and now I have to sit here and try not to blink too much in front of the camera?

[Alison Gill]

Am I blinking? Yeah. I keep. Like, I hear his dialogue in his head. Am I blinking too much? Stop blinking.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah, just keep your eyes Open.

[Alison Gill]

Maybe you're not blinking enough. Am I weird?

[Dana Goldberg]

People know.

[Alison Gill]

They know. They know.

[Dana Goldberg]

Going on to another story that is just as bad.

[Alison Gill]

This is devastating.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah. NBC reports that the Supreme Court made it easier Monday for the Trump administration to deport convicted criminals to third countries to which they have no previous connection. Not even sending them home to where they left. Just a third country that will take them. Probably because they have a for profit prison. That would be my assumption.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah. Or to sell into slavery. I know. I've seen a bunch of planes go into Mauritania.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah, you're right. That's even worse. Ugh. Can't even think of it. This date just keeps getting okay. In a brief unsigned order that is did not explain its reasoning, the court put on hold a federal judge's ruling that said those affected nationwide should have a, quote, meaningful opportunity to bring claims that they would be at risk of torture, prosecution or death if they were sent to countries the administration had made deals with, made deals with to receive deported immigrants, made deals with. How do they expect these people to get meaningful opportunity to.

[Alison Gill]

And how can they say in one ruling that due process has to happen? Meaningful due process has to happen in the habeas ruling in the original jgg, but not here. I can't square that because it's unsquarable. And they did it on the, on the shadow docket. Yeah, we're gonna, we're gonna go over this in detail, including Sotomayor's biting dissent because again, that whole idea of you have to come to the court for equitable jurisdiction, you have to come hands clean. And the Trump admin. This court order twice. And, and, and so the liberal justices are, they're baffled as to how they even have equitable jurisdiction.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah.

[Alison Gill]

And I guess it's through the shadow docket. And we're going to talk about that on the next Unjustified podcast. Also, lawyers for Gavin Newsom have asked the lower court, Judge Breyer, to consider a preliminary injunction to stop Trump from deploying troops in California under the Posse Comitatus Act. Now it's on hold that currently, like the first one, the first, you know, ask for a tro. And a preliminary injunction is on hold at the ninth Circuit. But since the ninth Circuit did not consider the Posse Comitatus act argument, California hopes to make it anew down at the district court level by explaining to Judge Breyer that he has jurisdiction and try to get an injunction that way. So this continues. We'll keep you posted.

[Dana Goldberg]

Oh, thank you, Alison. And I know we're going into the Hot Notes, but I was just thinking about this whole thing with Iran and Trump, and in my head, it feels like a bar fight where a couple of buddies are sort of like they're there with each other. You know what I mean? They're buddies, and all of a sudden one of them has too much to drink, and so he pushes the other one playfully and the other one's had too much to drink, and he pushes him back a little too hard. And what started is like, this maybe harmless situation turns into an allout brawl fight. Otherwise World War iii, Like, that's what it feels like we're in the middle of right now.

[Alison Gill]

Right. That also somehow hurts people at all the bars across the world.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yes, absolutely.

[Alison Gill]

Like, it's. I. I can't even think. Like, this is so outrageous. I can't even think of an analog or a metaphor. Yeah, like. Oh, it's like that. Like. No, it's just what it is. It's so out of control.

[Dana Goldberg]

And Bibi has been waiting for an idiot like Trump to be willing to take one for the team. I' oh, my God.

[Alison Gill]

Since 1982, he's wanted the US to drop these bombs, and he finally found somebody that he could just like Kamala Harris said, somebody he could butter up.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah. What did she say? It will be at war with Iran. And within six weeks or six months. Six months of the election.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah. Anyway. All right, we have a lot of news to get to later in the show. I'm going to be joined by Bobby Kogan. We've had him on before. He's a budget reconciliation expert. He and he and I are going to talk about all of these. Like, we've been like, what are our Democratic senators doing? Yeah, they're actually burning the midnight oil. I've just learned about this battling provisions in the billionaire bailout bill one at a time before the Senate parliamentarian to get them yanked out of the bill.

[Dana Goldberg]

Good.

[Alison Gill]

And they're winning a lot of these arguments because the staff for the Senate for Democrats, a little bit smarter than the staff for the Republican senator. So they're a lot better at arguing before the parliamentarian. And we'll talk about that. We'll talk about whether the parliamentarian is going to be fired by the Republicans or if John Thune doesn't want to do that because it's basically killing the filibuster. So all of that will come up later in the show. And but we're going to do the hot notes right after this quick break. Stick around. We'll be right back after these messages. We'll be right back. Hey everybody. I've always wanted to learn more about wine, but every time I tried, it felt like going to school. It was too much. The terminology, the reading regions, the rules. It was intimidating. But Naked Wines changed that for me. Naked Wines is a service that directly connects you to the world's finest independent winemaker so you can get award winning wine delivered straight to your door at massive discounts. Go to nakedwines.com dailybeans and use our code Daily Beans for the code and the password and you get their incredible deal of six bottles for just $39.99. The wine is amazing, but what I really love is the stories behind the wines. Naked Wines partners with over 90 independent winemakers and these folks are out here doing creative passion batch work. Each bottle I open feels like I'm being let in on a secret. I absolutely love this. My BFF loves white wine and I'm more of a red drinker. So we split some and it works perfectly. And the best part, no commitment, no membership fees. You just order when you want and enjoy it when it arrives. And by cutting out the middleman, you get these high quality wines at up to 60% off what you pay in store. You even get to rate each bottle so future boxes are better matched to your taste so it's smarter, more personal. It's a great way to enjoy wine. Naked Wines makes you feel like you're part of something special. So now is the time to join the Naked Wines community. Head to nakedwines.com dailybeans click enter voucher and put in my code Daily Beans for both the code and the password for six bottles of wine for just 39.99 with shipping included. That is a hundred dollars off your first six bottles. Again, that's nakedwines.com dailybeans and use the code and password daily beans for six bottles of wine for 39.99. Everybody, welcome back. It's time to hit the hot notes. Hot notes. All right, first up from the Times, a Senate official rejected on Sunday a measure in the Republicans sweeping domestic policy bill that could limit lawsuits seeking to block President Trump's executive actions. The measure would target the preliminary injunctions and temporary restraining orders issued by federal judges on Trump directives. Those rulings have halted or delayed orders on a host of policies, including efforts to carry out mass firings of federal workers, efforts to withhold funds from states that don't comply with demands on immigration enforcement. Now, the GOP proposal would require parties suing over federal policies to post bond. You know, we've talked about this provision, post a bond covering the government's potential costs and damages from an injunction if the judge's order were found later to have been wrongly granted. The senate parliamentarian Elizabeth McDonough makes those judgments and she ruled that that measure does not meet the requirements. And that's according to Senator Chuck Schumer. This is one of 60 or so provisions that Democrats in the Senate have challenged under the Byrd rule. And like I said later in the show, I'm going to be talking to our budget expert Bobby Kogan about that process and what else could be stripped from the billionaire bailout bill.

[Dana Goldberg]

All right. Thanks so much, ag. Now this next one's from ABC News. Marine Corps veteran Adrian Clowder doesn't know how to tell his children where their mother went after U.S. immigration and Customs Enforcement officers detained her last month. When his nearly two year old son Noah asks for his mother before bed, Clowder just tells him mama will be back soon. When his three month old breastfeeding daughter Lynn is hungry, he gives her a bottle of baby formula instead. He's worried how his newborn will bond with her mother absent skin to skin contact. His wife, Paola is one of tens of thousands of people in custody and facing deportation. As the Trump administration pushes for immigration officers to arrest 3,000 people a day. Even as Marine Corps recruiters promote enlistment as protection for families lacking legal status, directives for strict immigrant enforcement have cast away practices of deference previously afforded to military families. Immigration law experts have said the federal agency tasked with helping military family members gain legal status now refers them for deportation. Marine Corps spokesperson Master Sergeant Tyler Lavic told the Associated Press that recruiters have now been informed that they are, and I quote, not the proper authority to imply that the Marine Corps can secure immigration relief for applicants or their families. Another promise broken, protection for people that are willing to fight for this country and defend it no longer have protections.

[Alison Gill]

Right. It's like the betrayal of the IRS paying taxes. They're now using that to find people and deport them. Yeah. All right. We need to shift to some good news, please. Yes, this is from the Times. Five Democratic senators have rented a small theater at the John F. Kennedy center for Performing Arts and invited the producer of Hamilton to stage a gay Pride concert there as a form of symbolic protest against Trump's takeover of the institution. The event scheduled to take place Monday night, which is last night. If you're listening to this on Tuesday before an invited audience will feature Broadway artists performing songs and readings. The concert, hosted by Senator John Hickenlooper of Colorado, is being called Love is Love, a slogan used by the gay rights movement and quoted by the Hamilton creator Lin Manuel Miranda when his show won at the Tony Awards in 2016. The senators who exercised a prerogative extended to members of Congress to rent space at the Kennedy Center.

[Dana Goldberg]

Nice.

[Alison Gill]

Chose this week to do this event because June, as we know, has long been when supporters of the gay community have celebrated Pride Month and will continue.

[Dana Goldberg]

To be no matter what this fucking president says.

[Alison Gill]

Yes. So Democratic senators are using their privilege to rent out space at the Kennedy center to stage a little protest.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yes. And a little more good news because the gays are powerful. This one's from the Advocate. In whispered hallway conversations and encrypted text messages, and with rainbow pins discreetly clipped to lanyards, an underground resistance is taking shape within the U.S. department of Veterans affairs after the Trump administration stopped providing gender affirming care for transgender veterans in March. Some physicians within the VA system around the country are risking their careers and safety to defy the rollback quietly, chart by chart, patient by patient. The underground resistance to the department's anti trans policies was described to the Advocate in interviews with three different VA doctors and one transgender patient who all spoke on the condition of anonymity. Those doctors fear retaliation from supervisors and of course this administration, the trans patient of course fears harassment. And I quote, this is lavender scare 2.0. And a senior VA doctor. That's what they said. We're being surveilled. We're told to report each other for using the word transgender, but we're resisting strategically, quietly, because our patients lives are on the line. Quote, it's a crushing blow, but a familiar one said a second doctor, the VA medical center leadership. The Trump policy violates both the Hippocratic oath and my oath as a federal employee to defend the Constitution. I fought for patients with HIV addiction needing abortions. And this feels exactly the same. Politics interfering with evidence based humanistic medicine.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah.

[Dana Goldberg]

The doctor described the current climate as, quote, McCarthyistic, with staff self censoring out of fear being reported. Quote, there's a hotline to the White House and another to the inspector general. They said you can be investigated for wearing a rainbow pin or displaying a pride flag. We've had to train ourselves to speak in code. Again. This is fucking mind blowing. A third VA provider, also being kept anonymous to protect them from adverse employment actions by the federal government, told the Advocate that they have made the conscious Decision to resist as visibly as possible. I go to work dressed like I'm going to pride, the physician said. Rainbow earrings, trans flag pins, my badge lanyard is basically a beacon. And I do that because I can and because my patients need to see someone who is still there for them. The doctor said that they've seen other queer and trans colleagues, quote, disappear themselves from the system, scrubbing pronouns from email signatures or avoiding hallway conversations out of fear. It's exhausting. Being queer in this world is exhausting enough. Being queer in the VA right now feels like carrying a torch in a storm. But someone has to do it. Despite the risk. All three physicians described a rapidly growing but carefully hidden network of VA staff committed to ensuring that trans veterans will still receive care, often through unofficial channels, coded referrals, and creative documentation workarounds. Some doctors are finding ways to subvert the restrictions quietly. One doctor in a leadership role described helping trans veterans access care through back channels and personal connections, including community providers and informal care networks. We're building the underground as fast as we can, they said. That includes continuing to write surgical referral letters, directing veterans to LGBTQ affirming free clinics, and slipping prescriptions through where they can. If I get fired, I can't help anyone. So I stay. I resist. That's what the doctor said. Now, I love this whole story. I also. I feel like there's a risk that this became public now. Everyone's going to go searching out what the fuck is going on at the VA underground. But in. In the meantime, good on you, every single one of you. I have my gay of the day heroes. All of you underground at the VA right now that are helping these patients, you are officially my gay of the day.

[Alison Gill]

That's amazing. I'm so proud of my former colleagues. I'm sure you are at the Department of Veterans Affairs. Thank you all. And if you are at the Department of Veterans affairs and you know about this, reach out, let us know. We'll keep you anonymous. We'd love to know what you're doing and if there's anything we can do to help.

[Bobby Kogan]

Maybe.

[Alison Gill]

Maybe what we can do to help is shut up about it.

[Dana Goldberg]

Well, we gotta blame the advocate. They printed it.

[Alison Gill]

But what an incredible story. Thank you for that, everybody. We have some good trouble we're gonna get to, but we have it today in the form of an interview. So stick around. We'll be right back. Hey, everybody. Like a lot of people, I have taken fish oil. For years. I thought I was doing the right thing for my heart, my joints. But then I came across something that totally stopped me in my tracks. According to a Harvard study, there's no actual evidence that fish oil improves your health. That was a wake up call. So I did some research and I made the switch to Native Path Antarctic Krill oil. And honestly, I felt the real difference. The joint stiffness I used to feel in the mornings, it's noticeably less. I don't feel as inflamed or achy, especially after long days. So big thanks to Native Path Krill Oil for sponsoring the episode. As a daily Beans listener, you can get up to 66% off free shipping and a 365 day money back [e-mail] DailyBeans now, what makes N Krill oil so different is how it works. It delivers more omega 3s and more antioxidants than fish oil. And your body absorbs it better. So instead of just passing through your system, those nutrients actually do something. Plus, it contains a powerful antioxidant which gives the capsules their natural red color. That was something fish oil never gave me. So there's also no fishy aftertaste. And it's easier on my stomach too. Krill oil will get you even more omega 3s than fish oil and it's easier for your body to absorb. And the best part, Native Path backs their krill oil with a 365 day feel good guarantee. That shows that they actually believe in their product. And the research is clear. Switch from fish oil to Antarctic Krill oil. From Native Path, I switched to Native Path Antarctic Krill oil. And you should too. As a daily Beans listener, you can get up to 66% off free shipping and a 365 day money back guarantee. But this special offer is only [e-mail] DailyBeans Again, that's nativekrill.com DailyBeans. You'll be glad you did. What are you guys doing? Hey, everybody. For today's Good Trouble segment, I'm joined by my good friend over from Everett Law Fair Media. You have to follow her. Anna Bauer. Hi, Anna. How are you today?

[D]

Hey, I'm doing well. Thanks so much for having me, Allison.

[Alison Gill]

I saw your thread on Blue sky and I was like, this is what I want to do for Good Trouble today. Please tell us about hope.

[D]

Yeah, so I posted about this on Blue sky and I hope that folks will read the whole thread. But, you know, I. I feel I often don't talk about my personal life as a journalist. You know, I'm often talking about what else is going on out there in the world. But this is an example in which kind of what's happening in politics and with this administration has impacted my own life and the life of my family. Specifically my niece Hope, who is 4 years old. She has a rare mitochondrial disorder called MLS syndrome. And a part of that syndrome, some of her symptoms are that, you know, she was born deaf, she's, she's blind, and she also has a rare heart condition called cardiomyopathy, which basically means that her heart has to work extra hard to pump blood. And last year, Hope's heart function really started to decline. She has a variety of medical teams because she is someone with a lot of various medical needs. And up in the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, her medical team there, specifically Dr. Goldstein, recommended that she go on an experimental drug called olamiprotide. It is a first of its kind type of drug that is specifically designed to treat mitochondrial diseases. Like Hopes, it has showed a lot of promise for a long time for the people who, you know, have tried it and have been able to do this experimental therapy, even though it's not been approved by the fda. So Hope went on this medication. It was still going through the FDA review process at the time. And it really was just life changing for her. Her heart function stabilized. You know, at one point they were saying that she might need to have a heart transplant, but now it's stabilized to a point that, that, that's not currently in the, in the cards for Hope Hope, but also just her quality of life really improved. She went from sleeping 17 to 20 hours a day to now being like a typical four year old who's bouncing off the walls at all times. And so it really has been life changing for Hope. But what we've now encountered is an issue that jeopardizes her access to this medication that has changed her life in that the FDA has denied approval of olamipretide despite the fact that last year, before the administration changed over, there was an advisory committee meeting in which the advisory committee, which is this group of outside experts who recommend whether to approve a drug, did endorse a full approval of the drug. Then the administration changed. We got into last month in May, we learned that the drug actually has not been approved despite that endorsement by the advisory committee, which typically the FDA does usually follow that recommendation. So it was a shock to the patient community and to the families of people who are on Olympicide. So now we're in this situation in which we're advocating for the FDA to reconsider its decision. And so as a part of that, I'm, you know, trying to talk to as many people as I can about what's going on and encouraging people to contact their representatives to urge them to tell the FDA to reconsider this decision.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah, this could improve the quality of life of so, so many people. And so I'm thankful that I found your thread and we're going to have a link to it in the show notes so that you can get all the information and the spelling of this drug. And we are encouraging you. You're good. Trouble today, should you choose to accept it. Your mission is to contact the FDA and to contact your representatives to encourage the FDA to approve this drug. That again, do you have any understanding as to whether or not this is because of the change of administration? Did it fall through the cracks? Is it intentional?

[D]

So I, it's, it's not entirely clear. You know, with rare diseases, the path to approval can be really complex and complicated because this is such a small patient population that it is really difficult to, to create the clinical studies that typically, if you have a larger patient population, you can do, you can do robust controlled clinical trials. That has never been the case for a drug like olamipretide because quite literally, there's only like a few dozens of people who are even on the drug. The condition that is the target patient population only affects, you know, maximum like 300 people worldwide. So it's really hard to create the kind of studies that you typically would. That said, you know, I will say that we, the people who were on the advisory committee, for example, at the fda, many of those people are no longer at the fda. People who are on the review team. There's been a lot of changes there, so it's not entirely clear. I certainly hope that people who, our journalists who work on FDA issues are looking into that. But what I know right now is just that we're focused on trying to get the FDA to reconsider this decision, especially considering that the Trump administration itself has said that it's committed to accelerating approval of rare disease drugs.

[Alison Gill]

All right, well, I appreciate you coming on and sharing the story. And we encourage everybody to reach out to the FDA and your elected representatives to see if we can get this drug approved again. We'll have a link to your thread in the show notes. Thank you so much for joining me for the Good Trouble segment today. Thanks so much, everybody. Go follow Anna Bauer on Blue Sky. And you should always actually just sign up for Lawfare Media anyway because there's a lot of other really important court news that's going on, and they make me smarter. So thank you so much, my friend. Everybody, stick around. We'll be right back with budget experts Bobby Kogan. Stick around. Hey, everybody. Welcome back. I'm happy to be joined today by an expert formerly served in the Biden Office of Management and Budget, worked on the Senate Budget Committee with Senators Patty Murray and Bernie Sanders. Now he's the Senior Director of Federal Budget Policy for the center for American Progress. He also likes Star Trek and plays guitar, so he's really cool. Please welcome Bobby Kogan. Hey, Bobby.

[Bobby Kogan]

Allison, thank you so much for having me back on.

[Alison Gill]

Yes, no problem. And as soon as we're done with this discussion, at some point in the future, we'll have to have some Star Trek discussions because I am a huge trekking myself. But we've got some budget stuff to go over. A lot of people, including me, are wondering, where are our Democratic senators? What are they doing? Especially when it comes to what I call the billionaire bailout budget, or if you're in Iowa, you can call it the well, We're All Gonna Die Anyway bill, thanks to Senator Joni Ernst. But a lot of that also has to do with the fact that the media doesn't cover a lot of what they're doing. And that's why I wanted to talk to you today because some Democrats have announced what I've heard called bird droppings, meaning everything that our Democratic senators and their staffs have been fighting to get removed from this budget. So before we get into which provisions have been found to be in violation of the Byrd Rule rule, can you briefly explain what the Byrd Rule is?

[Bobby Kogan]

Yeah, that's right. So a, the Byrd Rule is a specific limitation in the Senate. In the House, you can do whatever you want as long as you have a majority, you can pass stuff. In the Senate, Normally it takes 60 votes to pass anything. You got to invoke cloture because otherwise you can just filibuster. But if you are going through budget reconciliation, then you can do it in only 51 votes as long as you stick to specific rules. And the most famous of those rules is called the Berg Rule, which has six kind of prohibitions inside of it. And these bird baths are where the staff of the various, the relevant committee and the Budget Committee fight in front of the parliamentarian trying to argue, hey, this provision violates the Byrd Rule and therefore is a 60 voter, and therefore we've effectively killed it or it doesn't violate it and it's allowed to stay in.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah. And we saw this with budget reconciliation processes under the Biden administration. We saw a lot of Republicans fighting to have things taken out. Some things were removed under the Byrd rule and some of the legislation and budget reconciliation packages that were passed under Biden. This happens. This is a common thing.

[Bobby Kogan]

Yeah, that's right. So for instance, Democrats tried to raise the minimum wage in reconciliation. The parliamentarian said that the budgetary impact was merely incidental to the underlying policy. That's one of the systems six no no's inside the bird rule. And so as a result, that was not allowed to stay in.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah. So let's talk about the bird bath, another cool term that I've learned this week. Again, the process by which, you know, staffers comb through the budget to find things that violate the bird rule and they argue it out in front of the parliamentarian. So talk a little bit that process, talk about that process. Staffers, I assume, go through this entire bill, find things that violate the Byrd rule, consult with the senators, and so is that kind. Then they bring up objections and fight it out. Like, what does the process look like, how much work goes into this? I'm assuming hours and hours and hours.

[Bobby Kogan]

Yeah, it's a lot of work. You go through every single word in the bill. Obviously it's a long bill. The Bird Rule is adjudicated provision by provision, but provision is undefined. It could be as much as. It could be as little as a single word or just a clause. It's not like, oh, oh, this section is good or bad. It could be, well, 25% of this section is okay, but 75% of it doesn't comply. So the staff will go through the staff of the relevant committee. So it could be like the HELP Committee and the, and the Budget Committee or the Finance Committee and the Budget Committee or the, his GA Committee, you know, his GAC and the Budget Committee. So they will go through and they will look at all past reconciliation precedent ever. And they will look at this and they will try to come up with arguments for why the budgetary costs are merely incidental or notice if some part of it touches something that is outside of the committee's jurisdiction and, and therefore you can limit part of what it's doing or, you know, find if there's a part of it that is non budgetary and then you can kind of cripple some of the effect of what they're trying to do. You are trying to go through and you are trying to methodically break the effect of this, of this section by stripping out parts of it or all of it.

[Alison Gill]

And these kinds of findings by the parliamentarian, after the parliamentarian hears all the debates come out sort of committee by committee. For example, Homeland Security and Governmental affairs has posted their bird droppings that they were able to successfully get stripped from this bill. So let's talk about some of these provisions. I'm looking right now at the Homeland Security and Governmental affairs page. We have stuff like loss of civil service protections for new federal employees is being stripped. Filing fees for merit systems Protection Board claims and appeals has been taken out. Bonuses for cost cutters, charging labor organizations for the use of federal resources. A lot of awful, awful things that were in this bill have been determined to be not lawful or against the rules. A violation of the Byrd rule by the parliamentarians. So talk about some of the bigger items that you think are newsworthy.

[Bobby Kogan]

Yeah, so his GAC had a handful of really awful provisions. One of the things that they did was they had their version of the REINS act which would have given the administration the ability to kind of gut regulations in a very fast way that kind of could circumvent a lot of Congress. That was not okay. Right. Another thing they wanted to do was allow for massive reorganization in a way that kind of overrode, you know, laws that was deemed not okay.

[Alison Gill]

Another thing like the riff or whatever.

[Bobby Kogan]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. But in this case it would have been they could have done complete departmental wide reorganizations and, and you know, basically just destroyed the administrative state as we know it. It that was, you know, just entirely defeated. There was one thing they wanted to do where they wanted to basically create a new impoundment power, a new rescission power just for salaries and expenses, basically helping them do rifts. It would have been unconstitutional, but also importantly violates the bird rule. And so therefore they couldn't, you know, they couldn't get it in. So there were tons of things, you know, there, there's, those are kind of those huge, huge ones. And then there were other things that just would have been really tough for civil service inside of that. Right. So they were going to basically push almost everyone to being an at Will employee. Right. Making it easier and easier for them to go after the civil service. So Schedule F. Yeah, well, yeah, and.

[Alison Gill]

This is called civil something now. It's some.

[Bobby Kogan]

Yeah, that's, that's right. And, and so anyway, so there's all the HISCAC stuff. There are also huge things in the other committees. And so for instance, two of the huge ones that I, I was Personally surprised we won on and is like, like just a, a major testament to how well the Democratic staff have been doing here. We want. Republicans wanted to completely defund cfpb, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. And I really thought that they were going to be able to do it. It's a normal, It's a normal defunding. You know, it's bad policy, but it's, it's normal defunding of a government agency. But Democrats came up with a very, very, very clever argument for why CFPB looks different from other things. And parliamentarian agreed with that. And now not only can they not defund it, they can't even partially defund it. And then another thing that Republican, the Republicans lost on in snap, the, you know, formerly known as food stamps, it's kind of our massive and major nutrition assistance. Republicans wanted to push significant amounts of the costs of delivering it onto states. And the version that they did was ruled to be merely incidental, not allowed. You know, they might be looking at, seeing if they can tweak it and get a different version in, but first glance, like, that's, that's really great. And if they put a different version in, Dems will fight that version too. It's just, I mean, to be quite honest, I have been surprised by just how well Democrats have been doing here. It helps that our staffers are basically way better than their staffers. But at this. But yeah, it's. It's just been victory after victory. We absolutely dominated in environmental, environment and public works. We dominated in his gac. And there's more to come and there will be tough losses along the way, but it's been, it's, it's, you know, and to be clear, the bill is still awful. Right. Despite these victories, it would still be the largest Medicaid cuts in U.S. history. It would still be the largest snap cuts in US history. It would still kick, you know, over 10 million people off their health insurance. But these are great and important victories that make a really, really, really bad bill less bad.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah. And so let's talk about some of the other big ones that are to come. I know that a lot of people were worried about the provision that would require a bond payment to be able to file a motion for preliminary injunction or a temporary restraining order in the courts. We don't have Judiciary Committee yet that we.

[Bobby Kogan]

We actually got that one.

[Alison Gill]

We did.

[Bobby Kogan]

Yeah. Sorry. We got that one. We won on that one. We won on. Yeah, we won on the, you know. Yeah. Anyways. Yes, we won on that one. Is Great.

[Alison Gill]

Good. And then $1,000 to file an asylum claim.

[Bobby Kogan]

We are waiting on the immigration part of. Of judiciary.

[Alison Gill]

Okay. Because I see that we have state and local immigration enforcement that was stripped. Sanctuary city grant restrictions.

[Bobby Kogan]

Yeah. My understanding is that we, yeah, we, we got, we are, we are waiting on the. All the immigration provisions that are like all the fees and asylum and that sort of stuff.

[Alison Gill]

Okay, well, this is really good news. I mean, obviously it's still a horrible, horrible bill, like you said. Now it's just a couple of horribles instead of five. But that, that these provisions are being pulled out, I think is very important. Now, the final question that I think is on everyone's mind is will John Thune take these as final or will he ignore the parliamentary. What. What are the options for Republicans to ignore the parliamentary and fire the parliamentarian? Like, a lot of people are concerned about that.

[Bobby Kogan]

Yeah, totally. So. So first, there is a by the books way of trying to go at this, which is now they are going at breakneck speed deliberately, because the more people learn about this bill, the more they hate it. Why? Is. Because it's, it's a really unfair bill that helps the rich get richer and help, you know, and makes the poor poorer. But the by the books way, if they slow down a little bit, is to take their losses, try to take the reason they lost into account, and try to tweak the provision with that in mind, and then do another birdbath like appeal. Yeah, well, it wouldn't really be an appeal. It would be, okay, I've lost based on this. But what if I change the language so slightly so I do it this way instead? Is this version okay? Is this version okay? Is this version okay? And just as an example, in 2017, when Republicans were trying to defund Planned Parenthood in the ACA repeal, they lost on their first version and they won on their second version. So if you are going slowly enough, you can try to win on some of these things. So that's. That will be the kind of, the legitimate way of doing it.

[Alison Gill]

That sort of contradicts Trump's wanting to sign this by the 4th of July, though.

[Bobby Kogan]

Right? That's. That. That is the thing. That is. That is an issue for them. You can always fire the parliamentarian. Republicans fired the parliamentarian in 2001 when they were doing reconciliation and rulings they didn't like. You can also ignore the parliamentarian. That's where the person sitting in the chair, the presiding officer, who in this case would be JD Vance, says, thank you for your Advice, but that's advice on the rules of the Senate. And I think you're wrong. I think the rules of the Senate allow this. That can be done unilaterally. You can then appeal the ruling of.

[Alison Gill]

The chair to whom?

[Bobby Kogan]

Well, so what would happen is a Democrat would say, hey, presiding officer, I think that you have misinterpreted the rules of the Senate. And so then that brings it up to a vote. But that is a 60 voter. And normally it's a 50 voter to appeal the ruling of the chair, but inside of reconciliation, it's a 50, it's a 60 voter. So you'd have to peel off 13 Republicans. You could then appeal the appeal and say, well, I think that, that 60 really should have been 50, but that anyway, you can go down contours. But basically the answer is that the procedure of the Senate lets a majority do whatever it wants to do. But Republicans are scared to go down that full thing because once you are there, you've effectively nuked the filibuster. Even if you haven't technically nuked the filibuster, if you can do whatever you want with 50, then you have effectively nuke the filibuster. So Thune has said many times that he doesn't want to ignore her. Of course they have in two very limited areas, already have. And I think one of the things that I'm most worried about is I'm not super worried about them overruling on all the things we talked about. The one most important thing for them is this thing known as current law or current policy. And that's where they want to pretend that all of their tax cuts are free. And that will be a debate that is going to happen when Finance is going to. And if Democrats win on that, then I think that there is a meaningful chance. Republicans, Republicans don't, don't go along with, with her ruling there. But it would just be in a narrow case. The few times they have kind of deviated, they have a story to themselves about why what they're doing is legitimate and different as opposed to just. And it obviously, like it's, you know, it's not a real thing, but it matters to them. Their, their stories or narratives they tell themselves matters to them. So I think there's a decent likelihood if Democrats win on current law that Republicans ignore. But I don't think that. I don't think they're likely to ignore overall fire for the rest of it. Tbd. I'm ready to be wrong about this. It just, it would be A real, you know, really opening in Pandora's box for them. And they're aware of that.

[Alison Gill]

Okay. Yeah, I thought that was kind of where I was at too. Like, is it worth it for them? Because I know, as you said, John Thune has been very against anything that comes close to nuking the filibuster. But again, I don't put anything past this Republican Party in this administration. So I was wondering if you maybe had a better sense than me where this might end up.

[Bobby Kogan]

And I would just say, like, it's one thing for John that to be John Thune's honest to God opinion. And then if Trump calls up every single senator and says, do it this way or I'm going to be really pissed at you and I'm going to, you know, have you on, you know, whatever. Right.

[Alison Gill]

Like, then take your money away.

[Bobby Kogan]

And yeah, the politics can change all of a sudden. So. So while I think that that is his honest to God view right now, things are subject to change via tweet.

[Alison Gill]

Well, this is good news. So everyone wondering kind of what our Democrats in the Senate are doing. At least the staff that are working with these Democratic senators, they are working hard combing through this budget to try to pull out as much as they can and make it a less bad bill than it is, because obviously we don't have the power to stop them from passing a budget reconciliation. But they are doing everything they can and doing it well to protect us as much as they can.

[Bobby Kogan]

Yeah, that's right. I mean, Democrats have 60 challenges into the Finance Committee that speaks to a staff that are really throwing everything at the wall and in general, winning on really, really tough marginal cases. It doesn't stop the bill from going forward. The only way to beat this is to have Republicans grow a conscience and decide not to do it, which obviously is what happened in 2017. And it's worth fighting with all our might to make sure that happens, but we can definitely make it less bad around the edges.

[Alison Gill]

Well, thank you so much for explaining all this to us. Tell everyone where they can find and follow you and get updates on what's going through here through, you know, that's gone through the Bird podcast, Jeff.

[Bobby Kogan]

Sure. Thanks so much for having me on, Allison. I am primarily on blue sky at bbk, at whatever, at B Sky, B Sky Social or however. However it works on Blue Sky.

[Alison Gill]

Thank you. Oh, you're not on Twitter. It's so nice over there, isn't we?

[Bobby Kogan]

Yeah, I. Anyway, I do, yes, I am primarily on blue sky now.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah, same thank you so much, my friend, and I appreciate your time. We'll have you back on I, I'm sure in the future to talk about what the finalized bill ends up looking like, whether or not they ignore the parliamentarian. Fire her. It's a woman, right?

[Bobby Kogan]

Yes.

[Alison Gill]

Or just take what she says with a grain of salt, but also let it happen because they want to sign it by the 4th of July. We'll see. We'll see. But I'm very, very thankful that we have brilliant, bright Senate staffers, you know, in comparison with what they've got over on the other side. It helped.

[Bobby Kogan]

Yeah. Thanks again, Allison.

[Alison Gill]

Thank you, everybody. Stick around. We'll be right back with the good news. Everybody, welcome back. It's time for the good news. Who likes good news? Everyone? Then good news, everyone. Good news. And if you have any good news, confessions, corrections. If you have a shout out you want to give to a loved one or yourself or maybe a small business in your area, some great community activism or volunteerism that you're doing, we would love to hear about that. Shout outs to government programs that have helped you or a loved one, whether it's federal, local, municipal, county, we would love to hear about those, like Medicaid, medical, Calvet, great VA health care you've received. We want to hear all about it. And also student debt relief stories, if you have those. I think there's still maybe a couple of those that are going through. We want to hear about that as well. And then, of course, if you want to send in all of your no Kings protest signs and tell us about your no Kings rally experiences, we would love to hear about that. And to get your submission right on the air, all you need to do is pay your POD pet tariff, which means attach a photo of your pet. If you don't have a pet, you can attach an adoptable pet in your area. If you don't have that, you can always send us just a random photo of an animal on the Internet. That always works. We're also doing bird watching, which can be an actual photo of a bird or you and your family and friends flipping the bird to Trump and Musk Properties. Everybody's got one of those somewhere in their camera roll, I think. And if you don't have that, baby pictures, family pictures, pictures of your happy place. Just send us a photo to pay your tariff and we'll read your stuff on the air. Send it all to [e-mail] and click on Contact. All right, first up from Nicole Pronoun. She and her sharing my no Kings sign decided it was time to revise and revamp one of our old original protest slogans. I'm a new listener. Some girls at the no Kings rally in La Plata, maybe La Plata, Maryland told me to listen. But welcome Nicole. We have a new beans listener thanks to the no Kings rallies.

[Dana Goldberg]

Nice.

[Alison Gill]

I am sure glad they did. Shout out to them we've got no deportation without representation. I love it.

[Dana Goldberg]

I love that too.

[Alison Gill]

And then no to Trump, no to Fascism and no to Kings. And here's a kitty cat.

[Dana Goldberg]

That's not a kitty. That is a cat.

[Alison Gill]

That is a gentleman.

[Dana Goldberg]

That is a gentleman or gentle lady. It is indeed adorable. Welcome to the fam.

[Alison Gill]

Yes, welcome to the Leguminati.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yep, this is Celeste's pronoun. She and her I live in an area just outside downtown Oklahoma City with several restaurants and bars. Pregame started at like noon Sunday for the NBA Finals. I can't stand for long so I went and sat alone on a covered public transit bench with my sign. I was so angry I had to do something but didn't see any group doing anything. So I took my anxiety ridden self and I parked my ass on that bench for about an hour in the 90 degree humid as fuck weather. I may not be changing hearts and minds, but maybe giving someone else courage to speak out and start conversations. We don't have to do everything, but we can all do something. So here's my shout out to my own damn self.

[Alison Gill]

Nice.

[Dana Goldberg]

Nice Celeste.

[Alison Gill]

There it is. No more bombs Celeste. Thank you.

[Dana Goldberg]

Absolutely.

[Alison Gill]

All right, next up from Jenny Pronouns she and her hi AG and dg. I'm Jenny from Brooklyn sharing good news from the scene of the New York primary election. I showed my 12 year old son who's growing up in a majority immigrant community, the videos of Brad Lander being arrested by ICE while escorting immigrants out of court. We met Brad on Monday before his arrest and canvassed with him and his team on Saturday. My kid was really shaken by what he saw ICE due to a guy he just hugged. I told him that what Brad Lander did was really important and that this is a good way to understand how to be a man in this world. A man steps up to protect his neighbors. Also let it be noted Brad Lander gives really good hugs. On Saturday, Brad said my son was the hardest working volunteer on his campaign yet.

[Dana Goldberg]

Oh nice.

[Alison Gill]

My heart Heart. In the past week I've seen maybe hundreds of people out canvassing for Zoran Mamdani, dozens for Lander, and a grand total of Three for Andrew Cuomo. My favorite canvassers were some old Pakistani aunties out canvassing for Zo Ron in our Muslim South Asian neighborhood. When I said I was a Lander girl, they said Lander Zoran. They're friends. So we are friends. Man, I love ranked choice voting. Yesterday I passed the lines at Brooklyn Borough hall on the last afternoon of early voting. The lines stretched around the building. The rough estimates suggest that over 3/4 of the total vote count from the 2021 primary have already been cast early. Yeah, in New York City, young people are voting en masse. Everyone on the street says friends don't let friends rank Cuomo. Why? Because he's a that guy sort of guy.

[Dana Goldberg]

Love it.

[Alison Gill]

Let's hope it works. That's what I've been hearing. Also, my kid and I went to a big no Kings prot down 5th Avenue. I was so. I was so happy and relaxed. More chill than your average Coney island mermaid parade, but full of righteous energy. I snapped a great photo of a sign that said I heart immigrant New York in front of the Empire State Building.

[Dana Goldberg]

Nice.

[Alison Gill]

Here's what my son had to say about the event. Quote, I thought the protest was going to be like a riot where they're fighting against the government and I was going to be trapped. But instead, it was fun because we were serving our country. It was kind of like a Veterans Day parade, but better because everyone was invited. I love this kid. For podbet tax, I've got to thank you for your condolences about my cat, Trage. Rhymes with stage Trage. Here's a picture of our new kitten, Onion, who came from a litter. Onion, who came from a litter where they were all named for pizza toppings.

[Dana Goldberg]

Oh my God.

[Alison Gill]

She's whip smart and lives to play fetch. Also, you have my sympathies for your beautiful Siamese. Much love from a very energized democratic resistance in New York. I love that sign. Yeah, I love these photos.

[Dana Goldberg]

They're fantastic.

[Alison Gill]

And the kitty.

[Dana Goldberg]

Thank you, thank you. This next one is from Kat Pronoun. She and her. Hey ladies. I'm sharing a pic of my kind hearted grandson. All throughout kindergarten, he would come home and tell us about a good deed that he performed during the day. The other day he saw my protest sign and asked if he could go to the end of the driveway and wait for a car to go by. I reminded him we live in a cul de sac. Laughing. Still, he stood up there hoping a neighbor would drive by. I hope his heart always remains this kind Here's a pic of our precious dog, Aquina. Aquina. Can you guess what she is? Aquina.

[Alison Gill]

Let's see.

[Dana Goldberg]

She looks like healers. There's a healer in there. Red heeler.

[Alison Gill]

Oh, this is a beautiful dog.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah. She looks so sweet.

[Alison Gill]

I know. Look at this lovely face. Let's see. Oh, look, you got Red Healer, Blue Healer mix.

[Dana Goldberg]

I mean, I said healers.

[Alison Gill]

Why isn't it not. Why is it not a purple healer?

[Dana Goldberg]

I know. There you go. Red and blue. She'll be here all week, everyone.

[Alison Gill]

Sorry, I had to. Yes, tip your weight stuff. Don't. Don't eat the veal.

[Dana Goldberg]

Don't eat the veal. Not on this podcast.

[Alison Gill]

This is a no veal podcast.

[Dana Goldberg]

That's right, people. I don't know if you just got that. Nope. But he did.

[Alison Gill]

Next up, from Patty V. Pronoun, she and her. After losing our sweet kitty boy, Rocco, AKA Keith Richards. Great name. We decided to adopt a dog. This time. Not a puppy. Definitely not a puppy. But a dog that needed a good home, lots of hugs, and camping. A camping companion. One afternoon, we were browsing puppy porn on the Priceless Pets Rescue and came across this guy. We fell in love with his beautiful markings and. And even though he is, yes, a puppy, he looked small and compact and perfect for us. Talk about bait and switch. He's now seven months old, and he's currently close to 40 pounds.

[Dana Goldberg]

Oh, my God.

[Alison Gill]

If you're not careful, his joyful leap onto your lap can knock you over. The first picture is who we fell in love with. The second is who he is now. Too late. We are hopelessly in love. His name is Vetter, after the great, greatest rock poet ever.

[Dana Goldberg]

Nice.

[Alison Gill]

And he. And he has taken over the couch, the yard, our offices, and our hearts. Can you guess his breed? We were totally wrong.

[Dana Goldberg]

There's got to be a Rottweiler in there then, right?

[Alison Gill]

And some kind of terrier. Look at the little whiskers.

[Dana Goldberg]

And a Chihuahua.

[Alison Gill]

Shepherd. And a Chow. And a beagle.

[Dana Goldberg]

And definitely a bagel.

[Alison Gill]

All right, let's see. Oh, my God.

[Dana Goldberg]

What do we have? Oh, wowshire.

[Alison Gill]

Terrier.

[Dana Goldberg]

Oh, my God.

[Alison Gill]

Poodle.

[Dana Goldberg]

What was third?

[Alison Gill]

You got the Chihuahua.

[Dana Goldberg]

You got the Chow. Chow.

[Alison Gill]

Pity Chow. Chow. There they are. Cocker spaniel, Boston terrier, Pomeranian, Dachshund, Australian cattle dog, Pekingese Pug terrier, Chinese Shar Pei, English Springer Spaniel. And a Britney Spears.

[Dana Goldberg]

Or. I mean, at this point, how is there no Rottweiler in this entire dog?

[Alison Gill]

No Rottweiler. Maybe that's how they make a Rottweiler.

[Dana Goldberg]

Is all that is. It's all of these put together. That's how you bake a Rottweiler.

[Alison Gill]

Oh, my goodness. That is a. That. I don't think this is a record for the number of breeds we've had in a single dog.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah, that's. It's a lot. There's a long lineage. Long lineage with this one.

[Alison Gill]

Well, congratulations, Patty V, on your new family member. Thanks to everybody for sending in your good news. Please send us all of your good news by going to DailyBeansPod.com and click on contact. Thanks to Anna Bauer for coming on for the good trouble. And thanks to Bobby Kogan for coming on and talking to us about the budget reconciliation bill. Do you have any final thoughts today, my friend? My brain is scrambled with all of the news and I totally unsure how to report it. I'd like to apologize to the listeners of the daily meetings for not having much of a cogent beginning response to what's going on in the world. I just, I, I am at a loss for how to respond. I think that's probably by design.

[Dana Goldberg]

Yeah. I have no final thoughts because I think I used them all in the first segment.

[Alison Gill]

All right, well, what that means then is that we'll be back tomorrow. It does, yeah. And also.

[Dana Goldberg]

No, I won't. I have. I am. I'm going to raise some money.

[Alison Gill]

Oh, tell us about this.

[Dana Goldberg]

Oh, it is a gig in New York with. It's a private gig, but it's with God's love we deliver. And if you've never heard of this organization, they have literally since the 80s, delivered 40 million meals to sick people. It started with one woman bringing a meal to a patient that had aids. And it has flourished into taking care of anyone that has an illness. And some people have multiple illnesses. This organization, volunteer led, basically makes meals, three meals a day. That nutritionally is what the person who is sick needs. It is specifically for them. It is an incredible organization. That's all they do. They deliver the meals. God's love we deliver. I'm doing it with Shelly Wright. If you recognize that name, you should. Country music star who now works in corporate America, and chef Amanda Freitag. We are going to raise some money and she's going to do a cooking demonstration, but it's in New York and we're going to feed some more people. We're going to feed some more sick people.

[Alison Gill]

Amazing. Thank you for all the work that you're doing, all the advocacy. It's so important and everybody follow DG comedy on Instagram, check out and share the gay of the day. They're amazing.

[Dana Goldberg]

Everyone who has I appreciate you more than you know.

[Alison Gill]

I will be back in your ears tomorrow. Dana will be back. Dana, I'm gonna tell you now. Dana will be back.

[Dana Goldberg]

Oh, I'll be back.

[Alison Gill]

Everybody. Until then, please take care of yourselves, take care of each other, take care of the planet, take care of your mental health and take care of your family. I've been ag. I've been dg and them's the Beans. The Daily Beans is written in executive produced by Allison Gill with additional research and reporting by Dana Goldberg. Sound design and editing is by Desiree McFarlane with art and web design by Joelle Reader with Moxie Design Studios. Music for the Daily Beans is written and performed by they Might Be Giants and the show is a proud member of the MSW Media Network, a collection of creator owned podcasts dedicated to news, politics and justice. For more information Please visit msw media.com msw media.