Between the Liars

The 2,702 page, multi-trillion dollar “Budget Reconciliation Package” proposed by House Democrats includes the annual infrastructure and budget reconciliation bills, as well as a "human infrastructure" bill. They seek to address innovation, buildings, transportation, utilities, and in-home care. The human infrastructure portion of the bills include federal programs such as dental and vision additions to the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare), universal pre-k, child tax breaks, incentives for renewable energies and electric vehicles, and free community college at the national level.

In this episode we dive headlong (Scrooge McDuck style) into the specifics of the bill and unpack where some of the tax dollars will be going. We discuss how this bill might get funded, debate whether the proposed programs will be sustainable and beneficial, and sift through some of the strange additions to the bill--like the $50 million for “Strategic innovation for revenue collection” which is a fancy committee to figure out how to get more taxes.

Failing to garner enough votes to pass their infrastructure and “human infrastructure” bills, Senate Democrats tacked them on to the annual budget reconciliation bill, hoping to pass all three at once as a $3.5 - $5.5 trillion “Budget Reconciliation Package” by simple majority. If you’re confused about what budget reconciliation is or what these bills include, you’re not alone--welcome to politics! Join us as we break down what’s included in each part of the package and discuss whether or not a bundled deal is the way to go.

COVID radically changed the landscape of education, pushing a revolution in online learning as we scrambled to find new platforms that allowed us to retain high quality interactions while social distancing. Join us as we discuss our own experiences with the mass migration to online/HYBRID learning and unpack the pros and cons that accompanied the last school year. There’s a lot of uncertainty as we approach the start of the new semester, but you can be sure this will be a great discussion!

The U.S. House passed HR1, aka the “For the People Act”, but the Senate has not yet voted on  their version of the bill for it to become law. If you have no idea what this bill includes, you’ve come to the right place!

HR1 would federalize elections with sweeping changes, removing the individual state oversight of the election process. Those changes include the banning of voter identification, the requirement that all campaign donations be publicly disclosed, and the implementation of automatic voter registration, universal mail-in ballets, and ballot harvesting. Lastly, house Democrats tack on the assertion that Congress has the power to make Washington D.C. the 51st state. That’s a lot to vote on, but we break it all down and discuss our thoughts. Since congress closed discussion and didn’t do much debate on the bill, we’ve got you covered!

A student blasted her school on her snapchat story using some choice language and was suspended  from the cheer team for 1 year. Her case went all the way to the Supreme Court and gives some insight into free speech on personal media platforms. Join us to catch all the details and our own ruling on the case!

House Democrats pass HR51: Resolution for D.C statehood, attempting to overcome the GOP roadblock by circumventing the constitutional process of adding a state. Join us as we unpack the official procedure for a new state joining the union, debate the reasons for and against statehood, and discuss why this resolution has received divided support along party lines.

The Biden administration pushes for free community college at the national level, but would this address key issues students face post-graduation such as debt, unemployment, and lack of marketable skills? Join us as we debate the murky plan proposed by President Biden, as well as the concept of free tuition more broadly. 

New York passes $2 billion retro-active COVID relief bill for undocumented immigrants, sparking the question: “Should our legislatures still be sending out COVID relief, and should undocumented immigrants benefit from these relief packages?”

Join us as we discuss the long road to economic recovery and how heavily the US government should be involved, as well as where their efforts should be directed.

Jordan Peterson is a Canadian clinical psychologist and professor of psychology who is perhaps best known for his self-help style book titled “12 Rules for Life” and his assortment of YouTube content. Following the release of his latest book “12 More Rules for Life”, Marvel author Ta-Nehisi Coates depicted Hydra Leader Red Skull on a YouTube channel attempting to radicalize young men by spouting various phrases that clearly mirror Jordan Peterson’s content. Are his messages as dangerous and radical as a Hydra super Nazi? Join us as we discuss some of the ideas underpinning Jordan Peterson’s teachings and their implications.

Tired of the 9-5 grind and ready for a substantial change? Socialism often carries a negative connotation, but what exactly is it? Join us as we define socialism, discuss its merits and shortcomings, and contrast it with the capitalistic structure. Also, after we wrapped up last week's episode, Josh requested a theme song--tune in to see what we gave him!