Eye on Congress

Democrats plan to remove the Hyde amendment from the House appropriations measure, igniting a battle with Republicans. CQ Roll Call’s Jennifer Shutt and Sandhya Raman break down the impending fight over federal abortion funding in Congress, looking at the Hyde amendment, the Helms amendment and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The United States has the highest -- yes, the highest -- maternal mortality rates in the developed world. Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related issues than white women. That is in keeping with other sobering statistics of racial health inequities revealed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Mary C. Curtis sits down with Dr. Marcella Nunez Smith, President Biden's pick to lead the task force on health equity. They discuss why Black people suffer disproportionately and what is being done to change the equation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Senate parliamentarian says use of a special procedure to pass multiple filibuster-proof bills should be reserved for "extraordinary circumstances." CQ Roll Call's Paul Krawzak reports on what those might be. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The president is determined to reach his target of 70 percent of the nation vaccinated by July 4. CQ Roll Call's Emily Kopp reports on the latest administration plans to get there. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The most diverse electorate in the country’s history headed to the polls in 2020, but pollsters and party officials aren't quite sure how to tap that potential source of political support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The United States and Russia have a tense political relationship, which will be on display later this month when President Joe Biden has called Russian leader Vladimir Putin meet for a summit. But the two countries don't have to look to far in the past to see that when genuine relationships on both sides prevail, everyone wins. Director Dominic Cooke discusses this dynamic and how he portrays it in his new movie “The Courier,” a retelling of how two spies helped defuse the Cuban Missile Crisis, and gave politicians a way to avert catastrophe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While the pandemic begins to lift there are still many questions about moving forward. CQ Roll Call's Lauren Clason reports on lingering questions about masks, efficacy of vaccines and breakthrough cases of COVID-19. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fintech Beat is off for Memorial Day, so we decided to look back at an episode with Hong Kong University professor Douglas Arner where we talked about the origins of Ant Group, its regulatory shortcomings in the Chinese financial system, and when he expects to see an IPO. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Biden released the FY 2022 budget Friday afternoon and there is a lot of proposed spending -- $6 trillion to be exact. CQ Roll Call's budget tracker David Lerman reports on the top 10 things you need to know. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack sits down with Mary C. Curtis to discuss Black farmers and the USDA plan to provide debt relief to socially disadvantaged borrowers through the March COVID-19 relief law. That means Black farmers who have lost 90 percent of their land in the last century, in large part because of USDA policies, may receive compensation. The administration says equity is overdue and this is just the beginning. But many white farmers and banks have objections.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amtrak, the nation's rail system, has been on the brink for years. It went on life support during the pandemic and survived thanks to a $2 billion infusion from the government. But things may change. "Amtrak Joe," as the president was affectionately called during his three decades of commuting from Washington DC to Wilmington, has asked for $80 billion to fix long standing maintenance issues and expand service. We take a look at America's rail line and what the future may hold -- first with a report from CQ Roll Call's Thomas McKinless, and then a conversation between Shawn Zeller and transportation reporter Jessica Wehrman.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Senate was left without any Black women when Vice President Kamala Harris left the chamber to join the White House. CQ Roll Call's Bridget Bowman reports that activists are eying two Senate races in North Carolina and Florida as opportunities to fill the void Harris left behind. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week marked the one year anniversary of the murder of George Floyd at the hands of police officers, a year defined by a subsequent international reckoning on racial justice, a debate about overhauling police departments and an election that brought social and cultural issues violently into the foreground. Mary C. Curtis, host of the Equal Time podcast and a Roll Call columnist discusses where we are, where we've been and where we might be headed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

House Democrats from swing districts are nearly all in on earmarks. CQ Roll Call's Jennifer Shutt reports on what this means. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Federal incentives to expand Medicaid coverage may not be enough to convince the final 12 holdout states, as lawmakers and advocates in several states grapple with how to move forward. CQ Roll Call's Sandhya Raman reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Therapist and social worker Andrew Fishman joins the show to talk about video games, addictive apps and investing platforms.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Biden administration will not be able to admit the 62,500 refugees allowed under this year's cap. CQ Roll Call's Caroline Simon explains why. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tucked in the Biden administration’s public works proposal is a requirement that could remold the country’s electricity network, decarbonize the grid and wind up as one of the most aggressive steps to address climate change the U.S. has ever taken. But as CQ Roll Call's Ben Hulac reports, the devil lies in the details. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A new DHS Inspector General report found that immigration authorities failed to give hundreds of migrant parents the chance to reunite or take their kids back home with them before getting deported. CQ Roll Call's Suzanne Monyak reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Biden administration and some employers have not extended COVID-19 vaccine paid leave policies to parents helping kids get shots. As CQ Roll Call's Ariel Cohen reports, this gap could make it difficult for some of the most vulnerable to get vaccinated. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices