How the SAVE Act Could Cost Millions the Right to Vote

Summary

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The Find Out Podcast

Episode: How the SAVE Act Could Cost Millions the Right to Vote

Date: February 19, 2026
Special Guest: Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-IL 14)

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EPISODE OVERVIEW

This episode tackles the controversial SAVE Act—a GOP-led bill recently passed by the House that would impose strict federal ID requirements on voters. The hosts and Congresswoman Lauren Underwood dissect the bill’s deep implications, focusing on how it would disenfranchise millions, particularly married women and working-class Americans. The discussion is irreverent, honest, passionately progressive, and features biting humor blended with policy analysis and personal stories.

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KEY DISCUSSION POINTS

1. What Is the SAVE Act and How Does It Work?

[00:48 – 03:57]

• The SAVE Act (recently renamed the Save America Act) would require all voters to present a passport or a birth certificate with a name that matches their voter registration exactly.
• Standard forms of state identification do not count. Even marriage certificates, usually used to connect a name change, would not qualify.
• The bill would require voter rolls to be turned over to the federal government (named “Kristi” in a tongue-in-cheek jab at Rep. Kristi Noem), further alarming voting rights advocates.

Memorable Quote:

"This is a brutal voter suppression bill that would disenfranchise over 60 million American women whose current name does not match their birth certificate."
— Rep. Underwood [00:49]

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2. Why the Bill Disproportionately Harms Women and Working-Class Voters

[02:07 – 07:18, 12:06 – 12:59]

• Name Change Chaos: Married women who changed names would need a passport or updated birth certificate in their new name—often an expensive and time-consuming process.
• Economic Impact: Passports cost around $160; for an average American, that's 11 hours of post-tax work.
• Rural and Red State Impact: Twice as many Republican women change their names at marriage than Democratic women. Rural voters are less likely to have passports and live farther from registration offices.
• Not Just a "Left" Issue: The act would disenfranchise a core GOP demographic—married white women and rural voters—potentially hurting Republicans more than Democrats.

Notable Exchange:

"They are twice as likely to be disenfranchised by this piece of shit bill than Democratic women."
— Host C [07:15]

"This is not a partisan issue... They're hurting democracy because they're serving Donald Trump."
— Host C [07:50]

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3. Is This a ‘Poll Tax’ and Is It Even Constitutional?

[05:07 – 06:21, 12:59 – 15:42]

• The requirements functionally create a poll tax, disproportionately impacting those least able to pay.
• The hosts and Underwood discuss likely legal challenges, noting the Supreme Court’s conservative tilt reduces hope for protection of voting rights.
• There’s deep skepticism about John Roberts and the current court’s willingness to defend constitutional guarantees.

Memorable Quote:

"I've about had it with John Roberts. I don't trust him... I have no confidence in this illegitimate Supreme Court."
— Rep. Underwood [14:27]

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4. Voter Suppression as a Hail Mary for a Struggling GOP

[08:59 – 11:05, 15:00 – 16:56]

• GOP's sweeping voter suppression efforts are seen as desperation moves amid economic failures and repeated Democratic overperformance.
• Multiple Trump-era policies—Medicaid cuts, SNAP cuts, ACA tax credit rollbacks—have already alienated many rural and working-class voters.
• MAGA-dominated Republican caucus leaves no room for traditional moderates.

Notable Exchange:

"They are trying to cheat. They are trying to steal the election, and they are feeling like their backs are up against the wall."
— Rep. Underwood [08:59]

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5. Advice for Voters: Get Your “Shit in Order”

[12:06 – 12:59]

• Hosts urge everyone—especially those who have changed names or moved—to gather vital documents now: birth certificate, passport, any ID linking their current name to their legal citizenship.
• Expressed deep cynicism: “Trust no Republican run government system. Like, I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but that's where I'm at now.”

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6. Legal and Real-World Nightmares if the Bill Passes

[12:59 – 15:44, 35:57 – 39:23]

• Stringent “chain of identity” rules: Many must track down multiple records, often in-person, for every registration update.
• No clear provision for how local offices or poll workers would handle and verify these documents, making chaos and disenfranchisement likely.
• Economic and logistical hardship is by design, locking out poorer, more transient, and already marginalized groups.
• Expect “funny business at the polls,” including potential intimidation or outright invalidation of valid votes, especially mail-in ballots.

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7. Electoral Strategy and What Democrats Can Do

[16:56 – 22:17, 18:48 – 22:46]

• Underwood confirms Democrats’ best messaging is about affordability (health care, energy/utilities, home ownership, etc.), which reach independent and Republican voters alike.
• Health care and maternal health, especially for women in swing demographics, are crucial battlefronts.
• Bipartisan cooperation is gone: “That mythical traditional Republican no longer exists in the House of Representatives.”
• Even in Underwood’s not-solidly-blue district, constituents are turning against Trump due to corruption, chaos, and increasing costs.

Memorable Quote:

"We need to change the tax code so that we can protect essential programs like Social Security, [so] these Gen Alpha babies that are coming along the way... can be secure."
— Rep. Underwood [28:21]

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8. Maternal Health and White Christian Nationalism

[22:46 – 27:04]

• The maternal health crisis—exacerbated by COVID-19, the Dobbs decision, Medicaid cuts—disproportionately harms Black, rural, and poor women.
• The hosts link far-right “family values” rhetoric and white Christian nationalist ideology to the gutting of social programs and restriction of reproductive rights.

Quote:

"...this whole trend of them all having babies right now, it's very strange. Let's call it 21st century eugenics."
— Host C [26:42]

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9. Tax Policy, Oligarchy, and Social Inequity

[27:04 – 30:19]

• Forbes’ report: the wealthiest men (e.g., Musk, Larry Page) give a minuscule fraction of their wealth to charity, undermining arguments that philanthropy can replace public services.
• Underwood calls for repeal of permanent tax breaks for billionaires, to fund and expand essential programs like Social Security and Medicare.

Quote:

"We are not counting on the oligarchs and their generosity to get us out of this mess."
— Rep. Underwood [29:04]

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10. How Unworkable the SAVE Act Actually Is

[35:57 – 38:43]

• If passed, the law would require a complicated, poorly defined, and underfunded process for “chaining” identity documents.
• The poorest Americans—unlikely to have passports or the resources/time to get one—are targeted most directly.
• Every move or name change could trigger a renewal of the whole “citizenship documentation” cycle. A logistical “clusterfuck” and “voter suppression” by design.

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11. Potential Backfire and the 2026 Election

[39:39 – 40:26]

• The effort may ultimately suppress GOP base voters at higher rates than Democratic ones, possibly triggering huge Republican losses.
• Democratic base may be more urban, stable, and motivated, less likely to be caught out by requirements.

Quote:

"This could be the end of maybe dozens of Republican careers—if not 50 or 60 or 70—if they support this, because it's going to backfire on them very badly. And we will make sure it does."
— Host C [40:16]

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NOTABLE QUOTES & MOMENTS (with Timestamps)

• [00:49] “This is a brutal voter suppression bill that would disenfranchise over 60 million American women…” (Rep. Underwood)
• [05:28] “Well, it is a poll tax, right? It is a poll tax, absolutely.” (Rep. Underwood)
• [07:15] “They are twice as likely to be disenfranchised by this piece of shit bill than Democratic women.” (Host C)
• [14:27] “I've about had it with John Roberts. I don't trust him...” (Rep. Underwood)
• [26:42] “Let's call it 21st century eugenics. Because they're...making policies...that allows only those people to have babies and get power and get money and vote.” (Host C)
• [29:04] "We are not counting on the oligarchs and their generosity to get us out of this mess. We have to create laws and policies that are equitable, that lift up working people..." (Rep. Underwood)
• [35:27] “Real ID doesn't work.” (Host D)
• [40:16] “This could be the end of maybe dozens of Republican careers—if not 50 or 60 or 70—if they support this, because it's going to backfire on them very badly.” (Host C)

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PRACTICAL ADVICE FOR LISTENERS

• Get documents in order (birth certificate, passport) if there’s any risk the law could pass.
• Start planning for election day assuming worst-case scenarios.
• Engage friends/family, especially in red states, about these requirements and the real risk of disenfranchisement.
• Call your senators—especially Republicans—and voice opposition to the SAVE Act.

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HOSTS’ STYLE & TONE

• Blunt, irreverent, laced with humor and the occasional expletive (“piece of shit bill”).
• Deeply skeptical of the courts and Republican motivations.
• Direct advocacy for progressive action, engaging directly with listeners.

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CLOSING REMARKS

• Congresswoman Underwood urges listeners to follow her at @RepUnderwood and continue fighting for a multiracial democracy.
• The hosts announce an upcoming live State of the Union response show, promising informed, humorous, and community-centric commentary.

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For anyone concerned about voting rights, democracy, or the upcoming 2026 election, this episode delivers a thorough—and at times hilarious—primer on the dangers posed by the SAVE Act, with actionable advice and a defiant optimism that voter suppression efforts can and must be resisted.

Transcript

[A]

Hey, everybody. Welcome back to the Find out podcast. We have two big things for you today, but we're going to focus on one right now, and then we'll come back to the next one. We are very fortunate to have Congresswoman Lauren Underwood with us. She is a Democrat from Illinois's 14th district and is a big champion of healthcare as a nurse, I believe. Registered nurse. That's right. Registered nurse. So, but we want to dive into a topic today that is on everyone's mind, and that is the SAVE Act. And you have been talking a lot about this bill that the Republicans barely passed in the House. And, you know, we're seeing a lot of people online saying, like, well, what's the big deal? Everyone's got an id. Can you walk us through why this bill is so. Will be such a voter suppression bill if it were to pass the Senate and signed by the President?

[B]

Sure. So the SAVE act, which has recently come back to the House as the Save America act, is a brutal voter suppression bill that would disenfranchise over 60American women whose current name does not match their birth certificate. So what this piece of legislation would do is require either a birth certificate or a passport in order to register to vote. And your name would need to match those documents. Exactly. And then you would also need an ID to actually vote. Right. Because registering and voting are two separate actions.

[C]

Right.

[B]

The most recent bill that came before us in the House also would require states to turn over the voter rolls to Kristi. No. It is outrageous. And so the reason I'm trying to let folks know what's going on is that the Republicans have already tried this. They tried it last year. They tried it in the last Congress. But what has changed is that the Freedom Caucus has gone to Donald Trump and has told Donald Trump that it is time for him to get rid of the filibuster in order to pass the SAVE act or Save America act through the Senate, which means they are desperate. They know that they are losing. In 2026, their redistricting scheme did not work, and now they are trying to snatch away the right to vote from tens of millions of Americans.

[A]

Yeah. Just. Just to be clear, because there's one piece of here that really affects all Americans, particularly women who are married and taken their husband's name. So if you have not gotten a new passport or new identification, you. If that bill were to pass tomorrow, you would not be allowed to vote. Correct. You have to go through the process of getting a. A, A passport or some other form of id, which of Course costs money which I would earn as a full

[B]

tax form of id. That's what I'm saying.

[A]

Oh, it's just some.

[B]

It's the passport or your birth certificate.

[D]

And as you know, these don't count.

[C]

And then you would have to bring your marriage certificate showing the change of name to the register to the election office in order to update your. Your address or update your registration.

[B]

No, because the marriage certificate is not an acceptable form of id. It's that birth certificate or, or the passport. And as you know, passports are not free.

[A]

Right.

[D]

60 bucks.

[C]

So do you have to get it? You would have to. So if, if a. Let's just go through this. If a. If a woman is married, she. She has changed her name, but she is either not registered to vote or she moved. She needs to update her voter registration information. What does she have to do? She has to get a new passport with her married name on it. Or an. If she's got a birth certificate, then how does she connect the dots between that and her photo id which has her married name?

[B]

Right. So it's about what you're registered to vote as. Okay, so let's say she's registered to vote as Patti Smith, but her name is now Patty Jones.

[C]

Right.

[B]

She needs a passport that says Patty Jones or she needs a birth certificate that says Patty Jones. That marriage certificate is wonderful. It's beautiful. It's a document that recognizes that beautiful glorious union. But that is not enough for her to be able to vote.

[C]

Keep a friend over the Live Laugh Love poster.

[D]

It's not doing shit here, apparently.

[B]

And so Patty Jones would need to find that couple hundred bucks. Need to have that up to three month wait time between the time that she files for that passport and that election registration deadline in her state. Right. Because often in many states, not Illinois, of course, but in many states that registration deadline is not actually election day. And then needs to apply for that passport, have the money for that passport to then receive that passport and then go into that registrar office and re. Registered to vote. That's what we're talking about.

[A]

Yeah. So I. To visit. Example, I. When. When my wife and I got married, we, you know, it was in October of. I'm not gonna put. I'm not gonna date myself.

[C]

Very old.

[A]

Very old. Yeah. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. We. Yeah. We didn't even have passports because nobody could go overseas because there were no boats and no jets anyway.

[C]

Can't swim that far.

[A]

Right, Exactly.

[D]

Steamships hadn't been invented yet.

[A]

It was pat. It was in this century. Yes. But this day that she, like when she changed her name, she's all of a sudden ineligible to vote. Right. That's how that works. Right.

[B]

So anybody that works under this Republican proposal.

[A]

Right, right. And, and I think passports are good for 10 years or something like that. So, like, if you got it two years before, you've got to go back and get another one and pay $460. So, Congresswoman, my question to you is, how is this not a poll tax?

[B]

Well, it is a poll tax, right? It is a poll tax, absolutely. But I think we also have to remember that, you know, at baseline, most Americans don't have a passport at baseline. And I think we have to remember that this is not a, like, regional voter suppression effort in the way that we think of voter suppression typically. Right. It's, you know, I think a lot of us that don't live in the south think it's a phenomenon that happens to Americans in some other part of the country. This would be a change that touches all of us in every zip code. And it's really expensive in a time when the average American does not have any discretionary income, does not have any room in their budget for anything extra, much less $160 for themselves, their partner and their adult children to make sure everyone has that passport with the current name.

[D]

Well, I, I did the math. For the average American who makes, you know, the average income in this country after tax, it's 11 hours of work to pay for your $160 passport.

[A]

Wow. So a day and a half, you'd have to work just to have the

[D]

same day and a half today to get your passport.

[C]

I had a comment the other day, I did a video about this and I had a comment, and the person said, you know, why are you, like 100% agree with everything that the left is saying about this bill? But why are we only talking about, you know, marginalized voters, Hispanic voters, young voters, you know, female voters? He said, this is a problem for everyone, like, to your point. And so I did a little additional research. I live in a red state. I'm married. My wife kept her name. And I was like, I'm going to look that up. Do you know who's twice as likely as Democratic women to change their names when they get married? Republican women married.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

And so then I kept, you know, kept digging. Donald Trump obviously won married white Republican women by something like 90%. Like 90 to 10. They are twice as likely to be disenfranchised by this piece of shit. Bill than Democratic women. And so then you layer on, rural voters have a lot farther to go to get to an election office if something's off. Red states tend to not have as much money. And so you look at Medicaid take rates, you look at the people who are getting hit with the, the expired subsidies of the Affordable Care Act. This, on the whole, might actually be worse for rural white voters, for rural married women and their families than it is for Democrats. It's still terrible for Democrats. But this is not a partisan issue. And that, like, was a major awakening as I was looking at, you know, because we make everything left versus right or right versus left. But Republicans are hurting themselves as much as they're hurting because they're just hurting America. They're just screwing over everybody. They're hurting elections, they're hurting democracy because they're serving Donald Trump. They're not serving the Republican agenda necessarily. They're not serving their own values or their own goals. They're just trying to serve Donald Trump because he's demanding this. So every single American should be against this. And I don't know how we infuse that argument back into the conversation, because once it gets down to this left versus right, like, is there a filibuster and the talking filibuster and all of that, it becomes, you know, more about throwing insults over the fence than talking about what the actual bill does.

[B]

I mean, I think that that's right, but I, and I also want people to remember that they are trying to cheat. They are trying to steal the election, and they are feeling like their backs are up against the wall. Why? Because their failed economic agenda has hurt these same people that you're speaking of. Right. The Medicaid cuts hurt these same communities. The ACA tax credits expiring hurt these same communities. SNAP cuts, the trade war. Right. Hurts the farmers. And so, you know, they, they being the Trump administration, have already demonstrated that they are willing to enact policies that hurt their base. That is like a proven fact over and over. I think what's surprising in this moment to many people is that this is happening as the election season is beginning. Texans are going to go vote in two weeks. Right? So it's go time. And now they're trying to change the rules just like they tried to change the maps.

[A]

Right. And I think we've seen time and time again since, really, since the 2024 elections, Democrats have been overperforming time and time again in some places that are frankly, unfathomable to somebody who's Worked in politics for 20 years. This is the state Senate race in Texas that was about 32 point swing. We've seen even in places where Republicans won, the margins are always, always smaller. So they are looking at an absolute wipeout here. So, so Congressman, my question is, you know, we, we talk a lot about how maga, the MAGA base votes against its best interests time and time again. The tax credit didn't help them at all. It helped billionaires. The, the ACA study. Subsidies devastating. Closing hospitals, devastating. Do we have a unique opportunity right now to potentially reach out to some of these folks and say, hey, like I mean, I know, saying, you know, we know you were wrong, bad idea, but like, is there an opportunity to reach out to some of these folks and tell them like, look, Democrats are actually the ones that are for poor working class, middle class Americans and the Republicans just take money from you every opportunity they get.

[B]

Yes. And that's when we've seen the Democratic overperformance in these special elections in Texas, in Louisiana, in Iowa. You know, we've just seen time and time again Democrats being able to win in bright, formerly bright red areas because people are so fed up with these failed economic policies. However, I think that in the context of that election, that Democratic candidate still has to prove themselves, still has to articulate a viable plan for helping the community, still has to earn that community's trust. Right. No voter is just gonna pick team Democratic Party just because we are not Trump. We have to be able to articulate a plan to move our country forward and to support that voter and their families. Of course that has to happen. I think that we are going to be very successful in the November elections. I think we absolutely are going to flip the house. I think that we're going to post double digit gains. Okay. Like it's game time. However, we haven't won anything yet, right?

[C]

Yeah. And they're trying to stop us. So my advice to people has been twofold. One, get your in order, get your, like just get those stupid ass documents. Because I'm seeing comments from people saying like, oh, it's a poll tax, it'll never survive. You know, I stopped saying never a long time ago, like around 10 years ago, around 20. There was something in 2016 that made me stop saying never. Actually I can't remember.

[D]

I couldn't imagine what that would be.

[C]

My, my DNA blocked it out of my, of my memory. But um, so I'm telling people like, do you know where your birth certificate is? Because if you're 20 to 35. It's probably at mom and dad's house, right? Like 18 to 35. They don't trust you.

[D]

Why are you looking at me?

[C]

Luke, where's your birth certificate?

[A]

Yeah, where's your birth certificate?

[D]

Don't even start with me, fucker.

[C]

Right, right. Between the gun and the.

[D]

Exactly.

[C]

But get your shit in order now. Trust. Trust. No Republican run government system. Like, I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but that's where I'm at now. So I know where my birth certificate is. I have an expired passport, but my name also matches my birth certificate and I haven't moved in like 20 years. If you are uncertain about any of these things, get that shit in order now, no matter what. Because there is a scenario where they pass this and they still lose 30 to 40 seats and we immediately rip that shit out of the, out of the federal books. I very much don't want to have to get it to that point because that is a very, very dystopian scenario that could also result in like maybe conflicts at polls when people go to vote and they say, sorry, you can't vote. It's a bad. It's a bad scenario. On the other hand, I do want to talk about the, like, the legal implications if this did pass. I know there are a lot of pieces. We talked about the poll tax, but like, is it even constitutional for the. For, for the government to just take over some parts of how states administer elections? That's one question. And then, like, does it hold up against Supreme Court cases? Or like, would it hold up in the courts? Because I would imagine a federal judge would probably file an injunction on behalf of married women, marginalized voters. And then there would be like a whole bunch of legal battles playing out all summer as we get ready to, to vote. How are you thinking about, like, what, what are the contingency plans if they do pass this thing? Like, what do you think is gonna. How would it play out?

[B]

So, Rich, I hope this is not offensive to you or your audience, but I've about had it with John Roberts. I don't trust him.

[C]

Oh, no.

[B]

I have no confidence in this illegitimate Supreme Court. And I am not counting on them to uphold any of my rights or the Constitution at this point. They have already demonstrated a willingness to throw away the constitutional rights of the American people in order to expand the presidential powers of not just any American president, but only President Donald Trump.

[C]

The worst one, okay?

[B]

And so they.

[D]

Fucking men.

[B]

I just want people to expect, to expect funny business at the polls. I want people to anticipate and have a plan and to know how to keep themselves safe. And in the event a National Guardsman or a masked armed ICE agent is standing at their polling place, we have to expect them to try to discount and throw out mail in ballots. We have to expect them to try to say that your documents are invalid and you are no longer registered. And I think that people are sort of like, well, can it happen? Expect it to happen.

[A]

Right.

[C]

Assume it will. Yeah.

[B]

Yes.

[C]

Prepare for the worst.

[B]

Yes.

[C]

Yep.

[A]

Yeah, I think that's right. I mean, I think we, you know, obviously the Supreme Court gave the President basically absolute immunity, which is for official business, whatever that means. Which is insanity.

[C]

Right. Which they determine whatever action after the fact, like six months from now.

[A]

Right. It's just like, you know, you know, it's just absolute madness. Are you. Do you hear it all? I ask this sometimes to members. Do you hear privately from some Republicans their unease for this or are they just all in on it? Because, like, sometimes you hear the whispers and like the, you know, the am like political newsletters and stuff, you hear, like people, you know, saying, well, I don't really know about this, but I'm afraid. Are you hearing any of that at all or is it just. They are all in.

[B]

I hear some whispers around some of the immigration stuff.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

They will acknowledge it's gone too far. You know, people's rights are being violated. No one should be being executed. You know what I mean? These. The maltreatment of people in the detention centers, particularly with the kids and the pregnant women. Right. Like, people will, in conversation, affirm that. I think on the voting rights side, the current Republican majority has been made in the image of maga.

[A]

Yep.

[B]

That mythical traditional Republican no longer exists in the House of Representatives. They have all retired or been voted out. All of them.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

When I think about my first term, in my first term, I had four bills, bipartisan bills, signed into law by Donald Trump. Okay. And every single Republican that I worked with is gone. These guys are gone. And so I think that while we may know Republicans in our community who are very reasonable and we actually do share values and you know what I mean? They're willing to call out the hypocrisy and the illegal actions, that individual does not exist in the House of Representatives.

[A]

Right, Right. I mean, the only one we see ever, and it's only related to Epstein is Tom Massey with the Epstein file stuff. But otherwise, and it's like, look what's happening to him. Right. They're all turning and going after Him. And it's basically just proof of why these guys just all fall in line because they know like the MAGA world is, is going to get them. But yeah, but I want to, I want to sort of, I want to sort of pivot a little bit because I want to talk about some of these things where I think we could have an impact on the election in 2026, regardless of, of the SAVE Act. What are the things that you have found that resonate most with, let's say independent or right leaning voters that other candidates should hear about and start talking about and like people like us should be like screaming from the rooftops to help, to help back this up because I think we have a unique opportunity here that we haven't had in decades. Because I agree with you, I think we're going to have a 30, 40 seat majority. I even think, I even think we have a real shot at the Senate. And I'm from Maine where Susan Collins seems to survive forever even though she's a right wing hack. So what are the things, what are the, what are the entry points that we can, that we can use to. For some of these people who maybe are like, I've never voted Democrat, but it's so bad and it's so obviously Donald Trump's fault. I'm now maybe listening.

[B]

Yes. So I think we start with affordability.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And that is an umbrella term. So for me it starts with health care costs and exploring how the cost of prescription drugs have gone up and exploring what happened with the AC tax credits and how we are so far away from health care being actualized as a human right in this country. Because Donald Trump has, you know, caused more people to go uninsured. Right. We need to be able to explore and discuss and be fluent in the language of the problem and also the specific solutions we want to embrace. Right. Let's talk about utilities. It is February. Well, today it's February. I don't know when this is airing.

[A]

Yeah, it'll still be February.

[B]

Okay, It's February. And in many parts of the country this has been a brutally cold winter.

[A]

Oh yeah.

[B]

And utilities costs, electricity, heat, have been off the charts. And then we have this like AI data center conversation happening at the same time. There's all these, they're rolling back the clean energy incentives. Right. And so there's so much to explore in this high utilities conversation. It enables candidates in their community to have a very focused conversation about what's going on and to show that connectivity, you know, housing. In my community, we don't talk so much about rent because most people own their homes. But if you are, you know, early in your career and you're trying to buy a home, that mythical starter home does not exist.

[D]

Welcome to $400,000.

[B]

Exactly. And that $400,000 is not at a reasonable mortgage payment because these interest rates are crazy.

[A]

Right?

[B]

It's crazy.

[A]

Well, Congresswoman, we've talked about this on the show before. I would get your. I mean, I think I know your thoughts, but, like, I actually think one of the most insane things I've ever heard Donald Trump say, which he has said so many insane things, was that they were going to keep housing prices high, but make housing affordable for everyone else. Like, I can't imagine how anybody looks at that and goes, that makes sense.

[C]

You could separate supply from demand. Easy.

[A]

I, I don't, I don't understand it. And he also said he was going to do all these things on day one. And the, the one that kills me because I used to work in the Obama administration. I worked at the Interior Department, so we did a lot of work on renewable energy, pausing these offshore wind farms that have taken us decades to, to get through the permitting processes, the environmental reviews, all of these things, and can power hundreds of thousands of homes at any one time. And he is saying no. I know the courts are overruling him a bunch, but he's saying no because he doesn't like windmills, because he could see them at his golf course in, in Scotland. He doesn't care about anybody. So it's.

[D]

No, no, no, no. Tim, they're killing whales.

[A]

Oh, is that what he said? They're killing whales? I. Yeah. Anyways, well, when they give people cancer, I don't think he, you show him a whale, he'd know what it is. But I saw this funny thing the other day because people were talking about how detached from reality Donald Trump is and has lived in this fantasy land. Someone was like, does he even know what's inside a refrigerator? Like, he just has things handed to him. And I think that's why we see that he just wants to help his billionaire friends and he has never cared about anybody else. And I do think people are noticing it. I'm sure you're hearing, I would have to assume in your community you're hearing more and more anti from Trump, even though, I mean, because your district isn't a super blue district, right? Like, you've had some close races, you've done a really good job. So you've been winning by more margins as you've gone along. But, like, are you hearing it more in your community from those folks as well that, like, they've just had it with him?

[B]

They've had it. They're fed up with the violence. They're fed up with the chaos, and they really don't like the corruption and how it's making things more expensive for them.

[A]

Right, right.

[B]

It's not just that Trump and his kids and his billionaire buddies are getting richer, but it's also that it's coming at their expense. And people know it. It is so blatantly obvious. And there are people in my community are deeply offended and they're very angry.

[A]

Yeah, yeah. And I think we've seen that across the country. I mean, especially when you have cell phone footage that's irrefutable about what they're doing in these communities. You are, I want to move to help, go back to healthcare again. And you are a big advocate for maternal healthcare, which in this country has actually never been where it should be. And we have worked over the years to, to help with that. Obamacare did some and Biden administration did some. But I want to, you know, this is another issue, especially as women, and white women in particular tend to be a bit of a swing voters. And this is an issue, obviously, that most of them either have experience with or care about. What has happened with maternal health since Donald Trump has taken office?

[B]

So in our country, we've had a maternal health crisis for decades where certain moms, namely black moms, but not exclusively black moms, are more likely to die. We see crisis in rural communities and some other racial and ethnic groups as well. And 80% of these deaths are preventable. But in recent years, we've had a number of events that's actually made this crisis worse. Number one was Covid. The pandemic was devastating for maternal health in this country. And then in 2022, the Dobbs decision, we saw an immediate spike in preventable maternal death in those states that enacted partial or total abortion bans. And then last summer, when Trump and the Republicans passed the big ugly bill gutting the Medicaid program, taking a trillion dollars out of Medicaid. Medicaid is the payer for the majority of of deliveries births here in this country. And under the Biden administration, every state, except for one, had expanded Medicaid to be a full year postpartum meeting. That mom now had health care coverage for the full year after delivering her baby. And now here comes Donald Trump gutting that program that offered moms their health care. So where we sit today is that there have been some really high profile cases in the news showing near near misses, right? People who almost died because they have been ignored. Their, their complaints have been completely dismissed or instances of moms actually dying because of this maternal health crisis. And the Trump administration is perfectly content to let it continue.

[A]

It's just mind blowing. Especially since they claim and like Elon Musk who's like, Everybody should have 35 kids. And I'm trying to, I'm trying to. First of all, he's, that's.

[D]

Which is crazy because his kids fucking hate him.

[A]

Well, he does have a, he does have a trans daughter who does not speak to her anymore. And he also posted some stuff last week that was like, just outward white supremacy. Just like, we must follow this. What did he say? Anglo, Scottish, German. Like, that's our culture. And I'm like, since when? Like, also, you're not even from here. Like I said, go here. You know, And I mean, it's like. And I get support for people like us. So when they say that stuff, Congresswoman, are they just saying, like, we want rich people to have lots of kids and like, we don't. We just like, you guys are off, like. Or do they not even, are they not even connecting these, these dots? Because I feel like they absolutely know what they're doing.

[B]

Well, they've made no secret their white Christian nationalist ideology.

[A]

Right.

[B]

That is a unifying thread between the speaker of the House and Stephen Miller and Steve Bannon and Tucker Carlson and Donald Trump and Peter Thiel. Yes. Like these folks. And they're like, call it racist, I feel like is almost too reductive. It is a very specific worldview that lifts up white male, heterosexual rich men as the sole and most deserving of the benefits of citizenship in this country. And they are trying to remake all laws and rights to affirm that worldview. And you know them, I mean, this whole trend of them all having babies right now, it's very strange, let's call

[C]

it 21st century eugenics. Because they're not going out and just trying to kill the people they don't like. They're trying to make policies and funding through corporate donations, a system that allows only those people to have babies and get power and get money and vote. Like that is. That is very clearly the linear logic of all of the decisions that they make.

[A]

Can we also talk about how Caroline I, Caroline Levitt became pregnant three months after there were all these, like, questions about her and all of these things with. Or was it Katie? Or was it, sorry, maybe I'll get the wrong person. Stephen Miller's wife after there was all this stuff and it's just like, it's just so, so gross. But another thing I want to point out and I want to, this is going to lead me to your, to your last question, Congresswoman. But Forbes put out a thing today at our a post on Instagram that showed the richest 25 men in the world and their, and their charitable giving, the percentage of wealth that they Give. The top two were Elon Musk, who is worth $800 billion. Now there's funny money in there, but that's the number. And Larry Page, the co founder of Google is worth 4, 5, 5, 600 billion. So they're worth over a trillion dollars. They both are in the tenths of 1%, like 1/10 of 1 of 1% of their giving. Right. So when you guys take Congress back, the House back next year, what is the plan to make them pay their fair share? Very clear or not. Luke, were you in Congress?

[D]

I like it.

[A]

Sorry, go ahead, Congressman.

[B]

You know, it's clear that a few things need to be done. One, these tax breaks that were made permanent in the big ugly bill need to be repealed. Right. That they basically are effectively required to pay no taxes proportionately. And then secondly, you know, we need to change the tax code so that like we can protect essential programs like Social Security to make these guys actually pay their fair share so that current seniors can get a little bit of a raise. Right. Passing Social Security 2100 just as an example. Right. You tax the rich so that current retirees can get a little bit of a raise and then the program is protected for millennials and Gen Z and Gen, these Gen Alpha babies that are coming along the way. Right, right. Like that is just a really concrete example of what's possible in a Democratic majority. But I also just want to say that the idea that they can slash government services like Medicare, Medicaid, snap and then philanthropy would be there to pick up the slack is so absurd. Right. There is no amount of charitable giving that will stamp out hunger in this country. There is no amount of charitable giving that will enable the American people to avoid medical bankruptcies. Like that is not really a thing. These guys are not setting up and giving to the GoFundMes for every single person that gets in a car accident or gets a unexpected cancer diagnosis or whatever. That is not the world that we're living in. And so the idea that we're going to be looking to Musk or Larry Page to get us out of this mess is absurd, right? You know, I don't even use words like this usually, but, you know, Bernie and Alex went on this oligarchy tour, and, like, we are not counting on the oligarchs and their generosity to get us out of this mess. We have to create laws and policies that are equitable, that lift up working people, and that's what Democrats will do in the majority.

[C]

Why is that controversial?

[A]

I know it's like, this should be what they all. It's just madness to me. But, Congresswoman, thank you very much, and thank you for being such a strong voice, especially on the healthcare side. You know, we really. We really need it, and I'm glad that I'm very hopeful, and I'm very excited to see you in the majority this time next year. And hopefully we'll get some nice chairmanship so we can. We can watch you hold Republicans and billionaires accountable. But until then, where could people. Where can people find you? I want to make sure people can connect with you.

[B]

Well, if you care about a multiracial democracy and protecting your voting rights, and you want to lower cost and, you know, save our country, like, follow us at Rep. Underwood. Rep. Underwood, on all socials.

[A]

Excellent. Congresswoman, thank you very much. It was great to have you on again. We'll have to have you again soon, so. But thank you for all you do. Boy, Congresswoman Underwood is great. She is. She is just so smart. And like, passing four bills as a freshman, I don't think people are. Bipartisan bills is. Is so unheard of. And, you know, I know she's starting to get more well known now, but, man, passing four bills, like, there are senators that have been in the Senate for decades who have not passed one bill. So for a freshman to do that is pretty remarkable. So we're. We're glad that she is a big friend. Friend of the show. But.

[C]

But anyway, no, sorry, because, like, I peop. The further we get from this era of bipartisanship, I think, like, I remember Newt Gingrich and Ted Kennedy, like, going to war because they were on opposite sides going to war in the 90s over these big, heavy bills. And then, like, they would say horrific shit, but then they would compromise until they got to some sort of agreement where both bases were pissed. And I'm like, that is how government used to work. And it's very unsatisfying because it's extremely messy and nobody ever gets all of what they want or even, like, half of what they want. But usually things get incrementally better. And the further we get from that, now that it's been 10 years, like, my daughter's 12, and she, she, she, her first memory was Donald Trump, you know, he was president, you know, when my daughter had her first memory. So there are entire generations that don't know that government can work like this. And so to have somebody like, like Representative Underwood in office, like, this is going to drift and get worse, and then we're just going to completely forget what it even means to work together and compromise.

[A]

Well, and it's like we said, maybe you said it. It's like what she was proposing we do is not far. Radical extremism shouldn't be controversial. It's just like women who have babies should have health care. Why is. Yeah, easy, hang on a minute.

[D]

Pump the, pump the brakes.

[A]

Have all the babies, but we're going to give you none of it. Also, we're going to overturn Roe v.

[D]

Wade, and you don't get to vote either.

[A]

Yeah, and that, and now we're going to take million, tens of millions of women's vote votes away from them who won't even know it. Right. That's the other part of this. Like most, if that bill were to pass, which I'm hoping it won't, but if it did, I don't think most, most people it affects would have any clue, which is, which is the entire point.

[C]

Well, and it would only get muddier. So, you know, I know, like, we don't like to go down the. Well, maybe this won't be as bad path because, like, we have to keep people opposed to it, like the, the official, you know, party line. And, and so, you know, a lot of what I'm seeing out there is, is that. But the fact is that if they did pass this, which, like, I keep looking up, like, what's, you know, looking for objective analysis on, like, what are the odds this actually becomes law as written today, and it's something like below 5%. Because if it, even if it gets passed, which, like, it has to get through the filibuster and John Thune would have to change his mind, a lot of things would have to change. Even if it gets passed, there would be immediate court challenges, then we're running into an election and election dates, and so then the courts have to decide, like, do they file an injunction to stop it and, like, suspend it till 2030. Like, it. It is an absolute shit show. And to your point, it only would add muddiness to the waters, because for those 69 million married women that, that, that Representative Underwood mentioned, the overwhelming majority of them are going to have to do something. If they've, if they've moved. If all you did was move since the last federal election, you're going to have to do something really incredibly stupid, like have to drive to a polling station with a bunch of documents or spend a bunch of money and wait three months to get your passport, which could put you past the election. So, like, this is just so true.

[A]

I didn't even think about that.

[C]

It is just so bad. And it's all because Trump just told them to. They've given up on the economy, immigration. They just, they're in Hail Mary mode.

[A]

Well, this is their Hail Mary, right? This is their Hail Mary.

[D]

The interesting thing to me is that when they, they, they tout. These polls are like, 90% of Americans support voter ID. That's not what this is, right?

[A]

That's not.

[D]

They do not trot out what percent of America's support to save.

[B]

Act.

[A]

Well, baby, once you explain it. I mean, even. We weren't even clear and the congresswoman was like, explaining like, no, no, no, IDs do not count. Like, state IDs do not count. Real. The real ID.

[D]

Yeah, real ID doesn't work.

[A]

And it's like, why did they make it that way, right? Like, the thing, the thing they want everyone to get anyways, right? The real IDs. Like, eventually you're gonna have to change over if you go to the airport now. Like, I don't have one, so I have to take a. I have to take my passport. But if they were really, if they really cared about voter id, I still think that would be wrong. But having it be like, you just need to upgrade to the real id. Like, I would still oppose it, but it's like, at least you could make an argument. This has no argument. This is just a voter suppression.

[C]

So, so just out of morbid entertainment, let's just go through this. If. So I pulled up. It's the, the Google summary. But if you're a married woman who changed their name and you don't have a US Or a US passport, a current US passport, which again, takes. Could take months and costs like 160 bucks or something to go get.

[A]

So.

[C]

And 2/3 of people in red states do not have current passports. So this is. So this is two thirds of red state people. Half of. More than half of married women, 90% of Republican married women. So this very heavily weighs on, on, on that group. If they don't have a passport they need to then provide what is called the chain of identity documents. Supporting a chain of identity to link your current name to your citizen citizenship documentation. And that involves this, it typically involves. So they haven't even defined it in the act. This is just what would normally be required, right? Certified US birth certificate, proof of name change, which includes a marriage license or a divorce decree if you got divorced and kept your, your married name or a court order for a legal name change. Like if James, James Donald Bowman wanted to go and update his registration and a government issued photo id. And then you also have to do that in person. So if you don't have that, that citizen or that passport, you have the in person requirement per the act. And so you have to bring these fucking documents to a voter registration office which also might not be the dmv. They don't, some states don't do automatic registration. Like when you, when you deal with your license, you might have to go to city office. If you're in Missouri or Oklahoma, if you're one of these, you might have to drive three or four hours with the stack of documents. And then like, let's be real, you get there and they, you show all these stupid ass documents and they don't have a system to vet all of those documents because this act doesn't fund that or even mandate the training on how to deal with those documents. So you get, so they get these documents and then they say well this one doesn't look right. Go back and home, go back home and get another one. Like this is a. Yeah. Oh, forget in the making.

[A]

Let's also not forget if you are, you know, poor working class, you are more likely to rent, which means you are more likely to move fairly regularly. And what happens when everybody moves? You lose shit like you just do. And they know that. So like that's part of the calculus here on the poor and working class families. They're just assuming that they're not going to try. Like that's, that is what this has to be because somebody who's making at, is at the poverty level is not, it doesn't have a passport. I'm sorry guys, but like unless they're on the Canadian board, if you make

[C]

$9 an hour in Kansas, you, you can't just in case I go to Portugal next week. Like that doesn't happen.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

At the drop of a hat, you

[A]

know, minimum wage is what, 5, 725 an hour still?

[D]

725, 720.

[A]

This is $160. It's essentially a penalty or a tax. And that's the other thing. Donald Trump has raised taxes on poor working class feminism twice.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Or several times. Tariffs with the big bullshit bill. If that were to pass, like, it's just madness. So, you know, anyways, people call your Republican senators and say hell no to this stupid bill. Especially if you live in places like Maine. Like, let's see if Susan Collins is actually a moderate. She's not. But let's test it. Lisa Burkowski, you know, you starting to get to a point where, you know, you can't.

[C]

Yeah. Alaska. And you're gonna drive from Fairbanks to Anchorage or something.

[A]

Right. Well, and there's. It's. Lisa Murkowski's not up, but Dan Sullivan is. And that's a competitive race.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Like, they're not gonna be super into that. And yeah.

[C]

So anyway, they need to pick if they're gonna. If, like Donald Trump is not going to be on the ballot to carry their asses. If this is truly their Hail Mary. Like we need to just do. If they're going to pass this jump through the hoops and fucking destroy them. Like that is the. That then becomes the only thing like 50 vote swing. Because, oh, lo and behold, it turns out that like Democratic voters didn't change their names. They live closer to election offices because they live in urban areas. Like.

[A]

Right.

[C]

Take advantage of.

[D]

They're more involved and pay attention to doing what they need to do.

[C]

And they're. And they're fairly pissed off probably. And so they're more motivated to do this. This could be the end of maybe dozens of Republican careers.

[A]

Definitely.

[C]

If not 50 or 60 or 70, if they, if they support this because it's going to backfire on them very badly. And we will make sure it does well.

[A]

And it's also, it's not just about Republicans voting for Democrats. It's about Republicans not being able to vote, are also not caring and sitting at home. Like, I think the bottom is going to fall out in the Republican numbers this fall. I mean, we're seeing it. You see it. Unless something happens in between. But like right now, there is no sign that this is going to be close. And it has to be a blowout for us to have a shot at the Senate, which is critically important because there's also reports. Guys, get ready to groan. Samuel Alito is thinking about retirement. So that came out the other day. But I think it will be very well. Of course he will. Right. Because. Because if we have a free and fair election in 2028, it ain't gonna be. It ain't gonna be a Republican.

[C]

And if we take the Senate in 10 months, we can give them the Merrick Garland treatment for the last two years and just not vote to confirm placement.

[A]

Whoever is leader, if it's Schumer or whoever, like we are going to be on your ass if you don't.

[D]

If you vote to confirm somebody, I'll.

[A]

Or just. No, not even that. Let the vote go through. Like just say no.

[C]

Eight. Eight. Eight justices.

[A]

We do have one problem, though. We do have one problem. We have one member that is a problem. John Fetterman. Sure. So we're gonna have to.

[D]

That guy.

[A]

Yes, John Fetterman. But we have to be. But if we get 52, it won't matter.

[C]

But even if we get 51 or even 50. Well, no.

[A]

So no 51 would matter because then it's 50. 50.

[C]

But they, they can't force the, the vote to the floor. The Senate Majority Leader also appoints the person who's in charge of the judicial.

[A]

Don't even hold the hearing.

[C]

So the judicial. The chair of the Judicial Senate Judicial Committee and the Senate Majority Leader would both have to give the stamp of approval for, for a nomination to get to the floor. And then here is what I. The tie break vote would matter. Yeah.

[A]

So Dick Durbin is retiring, so he will not be the chair of the, of the Judiciary Committee. But this is what I want. This is what I want. Anyone who wants that job, this is what I want their slogan to be. Mr. Or Ms. Senator. Are you going to hold hearings on a Supreme Court justice if, if one were to open? And I just want them to do this right. And if you are audio, it is a middle finger salute. I don't need words. I just want to hear Fuck no. And that's it. Like, we didn't do this, by the way. This, this, they did this. And so they stole that seat. And so I remember the day I saw that Scalia died. I was like, oh my God, we're gonna get, we're gonna get another seat and that, you know, so like. Yeah.

[C]

And then Republicans were unprecedented, as they always are.

[A]

Oh, yes. Well, but I think we've got to move to our. We promised two big announcements. The first was having Congresswoman Underwood on was great. But the second is, guys, we are doing a live State of the Union response show live from Washington D.C. with U.S. members of Congress, maybe some governors got some interest there and creators and what we're going to do, it's Wednesday. The State of Union is Wednesday. The 24th of February. So it's next Tuesday. We're going to do a two hours. Seven to nine will be our version of the State of the Union, because we want to make sure that you get all the factual information before that bozo goes up and lies through his teeth and says all kinds of crazy stuff. But for those of you who don't want to watch, because I understand a lot of you don't, we're actually also going to live react to the show to his. So that I think will be more entertaining than just hearing him. So we will be live. We'll do a split screen with him, and we're going to provide all of the witty banter, the sharp jokes that you're used to hearing from us.

[D]

Tim's going to do like 50 spit takes.

[A]

I will do 50 spit takes. Yes. And then we're going to have a wrap 90 minutes afterwards where we talk all about what we heard and all the bullshit and have some more members and more creators.

[C]

You know what we should do? We should give Luke an IPA and then he can do real spit takes. Every time Trump says some dumb.

[A]

Right. Anytime he takes a drink, he'll just. Which just. That's Luke. When you, when you gain some maturity and some age, you've got plenty of maturity under you.

[D]

Can we like, cut you in half

[A]

and count the rings like IPAs?

[C]

Luke's worried that the hops will give him like the. The moobs that, that, that the. The millennial, Millennial IPA drinkers. I mean, he's very concerned with his aesthetic. So we have to be.

[D]

Spend all that time in the gym for nothing.

[A]

Yeah, but. So you're gonna have the three of us. Zach's gonna be back. He just said a doctor's appointment. We're gonna have people talking about real this time.

[D]

Not like Tim's appointment.

[A]

Yeah, that's an actual one. And yeah, not like my imaginary colonoscopy, which everyone should get. And I'm not knocking them, but they were just lying anyways.

[C]

50 yes into the episode. Now we find out that the four listeners now know that we were lying.

[A]

We talked last week or the last episode. They know. They know. I even had people saying, we're so glad you're okay, Tim. And comments with this aware, it's fine. But to RSVP for this so that you get a notification, we go live. There's two ways you could do it. One, go to our YouTube channel and just subscribe and hit the notify me button under the Live tab. And you Will get it. Or you can go to we are findout.com SOTU which is state of the Union. So it's we are findout.com we are. Nope, I fucked it up. We are findout.com SOTU will be that. And look like these things tend to be boring. I mean, who wants to listen to Scott Jennings say all kinds of on CNN or like somebody be like, oh well, tonight is the night that Donald Trump finally became president. Like you don't want any of that shit. So come hang out with us. We're gonna have a good time. Gotta figure out how to be on. On live tv. Not tv, but live camera for five straight hours is going to be. You'll get to watch us experience that which will probably be hilarious. And maybe we'll be able to answer some questions of yours too. But we're gonna have.

[C]

I have a question.

[A]

Go ahead.

[C]

I know that like I think the FCC bars self immolation on like broadcast news, but do you think self immolation is allowed on YouTube streaming TikTok live? Like in case this gets really bad, we can just. Okay.

[A]

Just light ourselves on fire. Yeah, I mean, I mean we all know that it's only for broadcast and radio, right? So like we didn't even talk about that whole ridiculous thing where FCC tried to tell. Tell Barry Weiss at CBS News not to air the James Taylor and the James. And then Colbert goes, I'm airing it anyways or I'm gonna talk about it.

[C]

And then the YouTube stream got more. Don't watch in any episode of Colbert ever.

[A]

Two things, right? First of all, more views for Colbert than he would have had if it was just aired. And two, tell Rico raked it in yesterday is what I heard. Like because obviously. So don't watch CBS either, guys. It is a right wing hacked machine. So come with us. You can put your YouTube up on your TV, stream it. You know, you got. Everyone's got a YouTube app on their TVs at this point, right?

[C]

Right.

[A]

So it's gonna be fun, it's gonna be exciting and it's live. So you know, any. Anything could happen. We could give Luke an IPA and he could enjoy it.

[D]

No, I don't think that's gonna happen. But you'll have to tune in to find out.

[A]

Yep. See, there you go. So anyways, it is we are findout.comsotu go subscribe. Go sign up there or go to our YouTube channel, which is just at findout podcast. But that also means are we doing a Tuesday show? Are we doing that?

[C]

No, I don't know.

[D]

I haven't heard from our guest yet.

[A]

Okay, so that might be the show next week, guys. Mike, because it is a lot to put this on, we actually have, like, 10 people helping us with this. Like, this is going to be a serious operation. So we're very excited for all of you to join us. And so we may just do the one show, which also will be our live show as well. So don't. Don't knock us too much. We're not doing extra episodes because setting this up the way that we're setting up is going to be really great. But it is also also a lot. So with that, we got to go work on it some more. So on behalf of Rich and Luke, and this is Tim, which I'm just getting better at saying who we are so people can actually recognize our voices. Yeah, go, go, go sign up for that event. Go buy some merch at find out podcast.com or get a membership@findout podcast subset.com and help support us. So with that, thank you, everybody, and we will see you next Tuesday, February 24th, at 7:00pm Eastern. Thanks, guys.