All Things with Kim Strassel

Congress is racing through its final week of the year, with the House planning votes on two major reforms: Providing alternatives to costly Obamacare and fixing the National Environmental Policy Act permitting process. On this episode of All Things with Kim Strassel, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise details his party’s plans for both, explaining the GOP's new drive for choice in the healthcare system, and the bipartisan effort to update a 55-year old permitting law that binds the U.S. in red tape while sending innovative projects to China and Brazil.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A federal judge dismissed the Trump Department of Justice lawsuits against former FBI director James Comey and New York attorney general Letitia James on procedural grounds, but could they be revived? And how? Also, where do things stand on the broader lawfare battlefield? On this episode of All Things, Kim Strassel speaks with law professor Jonathan Turley about why the charges were dismissed against Comey and James, how the court system is handling the rush of political cases, and how Donald Trump is separately using the legal system to the executive branch’s benefit.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Congress claims keeping healthcare premiums down is a top priority, with Democrats going so far as to shut down the government over extending ObamaCare subsidies. But what exactly is driving prices higher, and how should Washington go about truly fixing it? On this episode of All Things, Kim Strassel speaks with healthcare policy expert Avik Roy about the "original sin" of American healthcare policy, the added mess that is the Affordable Care Act, and what Republicans can do to lower costs, increase innovation and competition, and improve care.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Now Congress has voted to require the Justice Department to release the Jeffrey Epstein files, what types of information are about to land, and what damage might that information cause? On this episode of All Things, Kim Strassel queries former federal prosecutor Jim Trusty about both the legal and political angles, including Donald Trump’s reversal on producing the files, the likelihood of a smoking gun, and the risk this precedent sets for victims and future prosecutions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tucker Carlson's interview with white supremacist Nick Fuentes--and Heritage Foundation President Kevin Robert's initial defense of it--is highlighting a rift in the conservative movement. While the Heritage president has since walked back that support, the fight underscores fringe elements of today's New Right movement and risks to the coalition going forward.  On this episode of All Things, Kim Strassel looks to that future with Tim Chapman, president of conservative advocacy group Advancing American Freedom. The two discuss the recent rise of the New Right/National Conservative movement under Donald Trump, its abandonment of longstanding free-market principles, and some of its more toxic cultural elements. Why does Carlson's "grievance politics" appeal to younger conservatives? How do JD Vance and other prominent New Righters navigate this political landscape? And what does the wider conservative coalition look like post-Trump?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What will New York City's election of Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani mean for the future of the Democratic Party? Why is New Jersey GOP gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli so outperforming his Virginia counterpart, Winsome Earle-Sears? And how much will Tuesday's elections really matter to next year's midterms and Donald Trump's governance? On this episode of All Things, Kim Strassel speaks with National Review senior writer and commentator Noah Rothman about the big races in Virginia, New Jersey and New York City.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The shutdown pain for federal workers and programs like Obamacare is all the news, but the 50 states are also starting to feel the crunch. How and when did the states become so dependent on Washington, D.C. dollars and what's that doing to the national debt? On this episode of All Things, Kim Strassel speaks with Senior Executive Vice President at the State Policy Network Tony Woodlief about how states have “perfected the art” of getting federal money, which now had grown into “an addiction” that is leading to more costs and worse policy. The pair also discuss the first steps toward weaning states off that money.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The government shutdown has been going on for more than three weeks, and neither side is budging. On this episode of All Things, Kim Strassel talks to House Speaker Mike Johnson about the closure calculations of Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries, why he hasn't yet sworn in Arizona's Adelita Grijalva, and the likelihood that the shutdown could soon grow painful for far more Americans--as more flights are delayed, troops miss paychecks, and the feds run out of money for programs like the Women's, Infants and Children supplement. Johnson also talks through the reform demands House Republicans might have in any future negotiations over Obamacare subsidies.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Louisiana Republican John Kennedy (R-L.A.)--also known as 'America's most quotable senator'--joins this episode of All Things with an update on the government closure, and the lowdown on his (hilarious) new book, 'How to Test Negative for Stupid.' Kim Strassel queries the senator on how he comes up with his classic lines, his thoughts on the Trump administration so far, his amusing insights on what's wrong with Washington D.C.--and, of course, his fear of what fellow senator Lindsey Graham might do to his fish tank. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With negotiations at a standstill, the government is headed for a shutdown. Can Democrats sell a healthcare message, or will voters view this as yet more anti-Donald-Trump resistance? Is this a liability for the White House, or OMB Director Russ Vought's opportunity to produce more sweeping federal-worker firings? What exactly gets shut down, how inconvenient will it be for Americans, and when will it end? On this episode of All Things, Kim Strassel breaks down the shutdown with Oklahoma Sen. James Lankford. They also discuss the true source of the dysfunction--Congress's inability to get its spending bills done--and Lankford's ‘Preventing Government Shutdowns Act,’ legislation that would force Congress to stay in Washington, D.C. until spending deals get done.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Recent threats by Attorney General Pam Bondi to prosecute "hate speech" and by Federal Communications Commissioner Brendan Carr to penalize ABC affiliates over Jimmy Kimmel's comments have thrust the nation into a muddled conversation over free speech. On this episode of All Things, Kim Strassel asks Institute for Free Speech Chairman Brad Smith to sort through the basics: What does the First Amendment actually cover? What are the limits to free speech? Should the federal government have any role moderating media comments, and where does the legal system stand on that question? And how corrosive is cancel culture to our broader free-speech tradition?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The assassination of Charlie Kirk and the rising tide of political violence is turning a spotlight on how best to keep Congress and other members of government safe. What kind of protection do political leaders have now, and what more do they need? What challenges come with protecting members both in Washington, D.C., and also in their home districts and states? On this episode of All Things, Kim Strassel speaks with chairman of the Committee on House Administration, Wisconsin Rep. Bryan Steil, about current and planned resources, what might be done to turn down the political temperature, and whether these events threaten the ability of politicians to engage in their core duty of interacting with constituents.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Donald Trump is considering declaring a national housing emergency to deal with high home costs, but what can the federal government actually do, and will it make a difference? On this episode of All Things, Kim Strassel speaks with former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Dr. Ben Carson about cutting regulatory burdens, increasing tax incentives, expanding financing for unconventional homes, and the great opportunity that rests in transferring some federal land for housing development. They also discuss the politics of housing--an issue that, like crime, transcends demographics and voting groups.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump’s decision to send the National Guard into Washington, D.C. to tackle crime is provoking backlash from Democrats across the nation. But Republicans are leaning in on law and order, seeing it as political winner in next year's midterms. Will the president now escalate, and send troops to other cities? On this episode of All Things, Kim Strassel speaks with Wall Street Journal columnist and Manhattan Institute Senior Fellow Jason Riley about why Democrats are losing the argument on policing, and what politicians get right and wrong about the reasons behind spikes in crime. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trey Gowdy is known as a former congressman and a Fox News television host, but he remains a prosecutor at heart and has now poured that experience into his newly released first novel, "The Color of Death." On this episode of All Things, Kim Strassel and Gowdy discuss the real work "good" prosecutors do, the emotional toll it can take, and the worrisome trend of prosecutors focusing more on politics than on justice for victims. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Public approval of Congress remains low, as Americans no longer think the polarized institution is even capable of performing basic functions. But does the gridlock really all come down to partisanship? On this episode of All Things, Kim Strassel speaks with the Bipartisan Policy Center's J.D. Rackey about the congressional rules, procedures and trends that get in the way of action, and some of the more innovative reforms and ideas for making Congress work again.    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A battle of restricting in Texas has created a national firestorm, with Lone Star State Democrats fleeing to other states, and governors from California to New York getting in on the fight. But what is gerrymandering, how did it start, and what does it mean for Donald Trump’s second term? On this episode of All Things, Kim Strassel speaks with legal scholar and former member of the Federal Election Commission Hans von Spakovsky about how race, politics, and Supreme Court rulings all collide in gerrymandering cases, and why so-called “independent” commissions are nothing like they say they are. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Department of Energy's new climate report is making waves, offering a fresh look at the alarmist claims pushed by special-interest groups and prior administrations. The report's five scientists lay out data showing that while climate change is real, it isn't the threat suggested by media or the climate lobby. On this episode of All Things, Energy Secretary Chris Wright takes Kim Strassel through the findings, including the upsides of warming, the minimal economic effects of climate change, the limits of U.S. policy actions and the lack of evidence that climate is related to the frequency or intensity of extreme weather.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Recently declassified documents by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard are illuminating the political origins of the infamous Russia “collusion” hoax that began with the 2016 election. On this episode of All Things, Kim Strassel and investigative journalist Michael Shellenberger take a deep dive into the new material. Just how far did the Barack Obama administration go to manipulate intelligence to spin the collusion narrative? What were the consequences for the first Donald Trump administration, and for public faith in institutions? And what else might be released?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump scored a victory with the passage of his ‘One Big, Beautiful Bill,” and lawmakers recently approved a rescissions package that cuts $9 billion in spending. Yet Republicans remain far from their campaign promises to rein in the Joe Biden-era spending spree. On this episode of All Things, Kim Strassel speaks to one of the Senate's fiscal conservatives, Florida's Rick Scott, about the prospects for more reconciliation or rescission bills that cut government largesse, whether Senate Democrats will join to pass slimmer GOP appropriations bills (or provoke a government shutdown) as the September 30 funding deadline looms, and the criticisms surrounding Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices