Hometown California recently visited Washington D.C. for an update on the national political pulse. In the first interview, our host, Paul A. Smith, spoke with Leah Askarinam, Editor-in-Chief of the Hotline at the National Journal about the change of control in the U.S. Senate, the razor-thin margin of control in the U.S. House of Representatives, and the new administration in the White House. They discuss the politics of the American Rescue Plan, the pandemic, and how things are shaping-up for the 2022 General Election - which congressional seats are up for election, who is retiring, who will be facing primary challenges, and how this impacts policy-making at the federal level. For the second interview, Paul sits down with two of RCRC’s federal lobbyists, Sheryl Cohen and Chris Israel of American Continental Group (ACG), to give listeners a deeper look at the early days of the 117th Congress. Hear about the politics behind the Biden Administration’s early priorities including coronavirus relief, the twin priorities of infrastructure and climate, and more. Listen to insights about the how the politics of the 117th Congress, the upcoming 2022 elections, and the wins and losses of 2020 are impacting congressional leadership and policy negotiations under the dome. And, with the shift in the White House, hear about some of the key differences between the old and new Administration.
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