Welcome back to BPC Weekly! On this week's episode, the podcast's new host Luci Manning is joined by Shai Akabas, Matt Weil, and John Richter. They discuss COVID relief, the return of HR 1, and share highlights from BPC's 2021 Legislative Achievement and Patriot Awards.

Welcome to the first episode of 2021! On the podcast this month, we’re joined by Bill Hoagland, senior vice president at BPC, and Sarah Egge, principal at SplitOak Strategies. Both Bill and Sarah are former senior Senate staffers, and they’ll be giving us the 411 on the reconciliation process, its limitations and constraints, and how it will be employed during the 117th Congress. 

On the podcast this month, BPC Action’s Executive Director Michele Stockwell gives us the lay of the land for the 117th Congress and what to expect the first few months of a Biden or Trump Administration. 

Also on the show: Reps. Derek Kilmer (D-WA) and William Timmons (R-SC), who serve on the House Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress, share more about the committee’s work to make Congress more efficient and effective—and what’s next on the modernization effort.  

This month's episode features a conversation with former Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Henry Cisneros and Andy Winkler, associate director of the housing and infrastructure projects at the Bipartisan Policy Center, on howCOVID-19 has exacerbated the housing crisis and how it can be solved on a bipartisan basis.  

Also coming up: Rep. David Price (D-NC), who serves as Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee for Transportation and Housing and Urban Development, shares how Congress is working to solve America’s housing needs.