Transcripts For CSPAN3 Rep. 20240705

Back us. Hes an emmy award winner. Hes been a television producer, actor, comedian and writer for more than 25 years. He can currently be heard as host Larry Wilmore black on the air on his podcast. Then youll hear this if you choose to, on his ipad podcast in about ten days. We do have some special guests tonight. Cspan is. So yeah. Cspan, it really made a big about tonight. They brought both their cameras cameras. Its an honor to feature representative katie porter on our stage or booker. I swear politics is messier than my minivan having never run for office, she charted a new path in 2018 when she was elected to congress as the democrat in what a historically conservative orange. Oh yes. Okay. So im going to invite them to come out here. Theyre going to chat for about 40 to 45 minutes, and then well have some for your questions. So think what those might be. Please, to the stage representative katie and Larry Wilmore. Thank you thank you very much. Everyone hear me . Okay, great. Well, welcome. Welcome to early life talks into an episode of black on the air from my podcast fans and its an to be here representative porter representing california yes and to talk about her book i swear politics is messier than my minivan congratulations. As i always say whenever you finish a book i, say congratulations. Yeah but it really is a fun read you guys for those of you that are really having a slow start peeping it out theres so fun stuff i mean who would have thought, you know, a congresspersons to share their story about being in a flag killing contest so, you know, growing up and thats what kind of shape their career. Very good. Katie porter very good. But congratulations. Its this book. Heres what i want to ask. Is this book really you talk about politics. Is it more about congress or is it more about you . I think its about someone like me tries to navigate some Place Congress and kind of the discontinuity between two things. So i thought a lot about how hard it would be to get to congress, about running in Orange County, about being a woman in politics, about winning. I thought id get there. The problem is, i would have achieved the thing and then i could just go to work working on very nerdy policies and i got to congress. Theres a whole nother of expectations and norms and responsibilities and youre doing it wrong. And this is not how do it around here and you need to be more like this person or that person. And so i think the book is a lot about kind of how i am having to push little bit at the Institution Order to sort of survive. Think about myself kind of treading water in the institution and there was a current making that hard to do. Yeah. How surprised were you by that pushback of people, you know, just being thinking you as a single mom . Its such a novel thing and why cant you just do what we did . Yeah, no, i mean there. Definitely. I remember early on, i tell the story in the book of going up to of our Democratic Leaders and saying, do you know when we will be washington, dc . And he said, no, no, not that sure. And i said, well, he said, do you have somewhere to be . And i was like, yes i have like three lightly supervised children and i need im respectful of the babysitter and the childcare and the flights and and like unsupervised, lightly supervised. Yeah. And he said, well, you know, we just we cant run congress around your so unique and we cant congress around people like you no one else has told you weve never heard of that. And theres kind of that mindset. And because a lot of the people in congress who are women, many of them followed the two more traditional paths. They either married someone who was in politics or their father was an elected office. This is the path that they followed or they waited until their kids were grown and and ran. And thats really changed a lot. Have a lot more young parents, both men, women. We had the first in my time in congress. We had the first member of Congress Take parental leave, and he was a man colonel. And of course, guy was right. And and i will say that im grateful to collin for doing sure because he will would make it possible women to do it more. But there was definitely some you know, this is like there are 10 million single parents, give or take, in this country. The only place where that Family Structure is unique turns out to be in congress, you know. Yeah, its interesting. You know, a lot of people talk about the messiness of congress and some people point to the age of a lot of people as kind of the institution to. Do you think like your example can help like change that institution, which changes by these type of increments every couple of thousand years, it seems like . Absolutely. I think that the class i was elected with in 2018. Yes, i was the only single mom of children to serve for the us congress ever. And yes but we also had people who were, you know, who were in businesses. We had people who were in the military, we had people who were nurses. We had people who came from not from politics. So they came directly from those other careers. They hadnt done the 20 years on the city council run four times for assembly before they and then worked their way up. And so a lot of its, i think felt like why is this institution not functional right . And we came from workplaces that were functional. And so my when early days in congress we were voting not on a budget bill but on voting for our leadership and the system was you pushed and shoved your colleagues to get over here where they had a little a d e through h and they gave you a little paper ballot. And one of those little golf pencils. And then you pushed and shoved all the way back to drop it off on the other side of the room. And i remember just being kind a scrum and being pressed up against. Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin and she had been elected like me in 2010, and she said, this is terrible and i was like, we have to fix this like just like this, how were going to vote. Like were going to push and each other. Like thats the the system and the system. They actually when we vote on the house floor, we use a Little Machine and you put a little card in and then it flashes up on the on the brocade wallpaper, it says, you know. Wilmore yay. Porter nay. And theres only a couple of these machines. And so you have to push and shove to get to one of these machines. And so when i first got there maybe was my first vote. I said, wow, you know, democrats are in charge now. Republicans have been in charge for a long time. Its like were all ready to fix this place. And they said, we have to fix this. We have to get more machines. And one of my democratic colleagues looked at me and said, those are brand new. And i was like, oh, yes, and i love them. They work so well right overhead project dues or something. Yeah, those so why why is there an institution so resistor to change whats whats causing the resistance . You know, because from the outside we dont understand why. And like just an example like that, why do things have to be so to do nothing . Yeah, it seems like this elaborate process to do nothing at the end of the day. Yeah. Know i think part of it is some of it is respect for institution and its its of a healthy respect almost that if we change things we might break them and democracy is fragile. That i think is the the justified kind. I am on board with that. I understand. I think the less good reason which is also at play is the system we have works really well to let the people built the system who have always in the system have powerful voices and so if you want the voice if you want the system to work for people who are older and wealthy and, you know, steeped in politics and then this system is pretty actually works well for them it just doesnt work well for young people doesnt work well for people who dont have a lot of savings. Right. And are trying fly back and forth. It doesnt work well for moms. It doesnt work well for people who come back and forth every weekend. And so i think it works. It doesnt some of that doesnt work at all. Its just that it works for a certain kind of person. But the bigger point, i think, is that it doesnt deliver outcomes want. And so think one of the things i really try to do in the book and i tried to do in congress is be more transparent honest about what we are doing. So i said this once and i got in a lot of trouble but its true i said they said you know are you ready to go back to washington, get to work . And i said, washington dc a place where goes to get wasted. And i got in a lot of trouble for that. But the truth i love you getting in trouble here, california. Every that im here, whether im in the Grocery Store or, you know, looking for a kid who is supposed to have wandered home right. Or im touring a business like i did today or celebrating the opening of a district. I am learning something from california about california, about whats working, whats not working, about our achievements and our struggles that all feel so productive and important to me. And then sometimes youre sitting in washington and everybodys like, some of these people are eating like tuna fish sandwiches for thats what they sell tuna facilities. And that cant be thats what the cafeterias and theyre watching tv and like what are we doing . Yeah, right. And so its sort of a hurry up and wait what were going to watch paint for a little bit. Okay. Theres a little bit of that and it has been interesting. I mean, i think, again and again, we kind of said a lot of this said we want to innovate, we want to modernize. Right. And we were told that just has to be this way. Right. And i think its been interesting with the republicans in charge, it turns out that if you want to vote at 10 00 and youre in charge, then you actually can vote at 10 00. Now, 1130, not 130, not you 2 15. But like if the republicans say were voting at ten, were voting at now were not voting for anything good. Right. But are voting and what means is i dont have to cancel the school kids who traveled across the country to meet their congressperson. I can actually make that meeting. So there is a kind of efficiency about how republicans are running it. Its unfortunate that that ruthlessness also extends to a lot of their policy initiatives. Yeah, yeah. I got the that the democrats are a bit of a when it comes to scheduling. At least thats the impression you get. Its like, why cant we plan . Hello, cant we plan . Did was that on that side of the aisle or was that some of the culture also like things popping up the last minute . Well, theres always going to be someone no respect of your time at all. So theyre clear. I mean, there are there are going to be. Panel, let me just run through what has happened in my 44 years, the longest shutdown in government history, impeachment, pandemic impeachment. You know, i big, big war with a i mean its been a lot so typical order there are going to be those moments yeah its when were supposed to vote to name the post office at ten and we cant get that done to 30. Right. It feels like what is going on here. Yeah. You know youre very candid in the book, selfdeprecating, which enjoy a lot. You know, you referred to yourself as the fat kid, you know, talking about some of the struggles in the its ironic that you standing up the small guy, you know like thats your thing. But one of the the challenges in that, it seemed, was that as a freshman, you i think you said im vote 120 or Something Like that. I remember. So how did how did you pierce through that and become a voice . Because that seems to me has to be a big challenge. I mean you have to want to do too, i suppose when i got to congress and i the first couple of months was just trying to actually find the right room to go to. If youve ever to congress. Thats its a maze. Yeah. And you obviously get sworn in in january. So especially for california, it was like cold and i didnt have any i had like open toed shoes. I was not i wasnt sure i was going to win. I mean, its Orange County, so i was spending time up my cracks. Exactly. I was in this mold and trying to find the right room. And youd get there late, then be standing behind a bunch of guys and you would be like like, im here the press conference. Right. And so when i started, you know, having some in or ill call them interactions in hearings with folks like jp morgan ceo jamie dimon, where i sort of really put it them about how can these, you know, your employees cant afford to live. Have you thought about that . And the answer was he hadnt. And i hope i prompted him to do that when i started to have to some of those moments, they take a lot of time. They take a lot of. Yes, i to really think it through and i remember just being so tired and sitting down and going to vote it probably 8 00 at night. One of my colleagues was newly like me and hes from california just really. Just looks great, you know . And i said, i, im exhausted like, i think im doing it wrong. And he said, oh, no, youre definitely doing it wrong. Yeah. And i said, what . What do you mean . And he said, well, youre confused what your job is, right and youre focusing on the wrong things. And he said, your job just to be vote number 218, which is what it takes, pass a bill, right . Its 435 people. So the majority. Right. The deciding vote is the 218th vote. And he said, your job to be 218 and then get reelect to be 218 in two years. And i had my job was like to fix some government and to try to rebuild in congress right and to help change the brand of the Democratic Party so that people understood we were fighting for them. And it was like, no, no, that that sounds like really draining. Like just be to 18. Yeah i think some people get into it for the glory of the but you were the work youre doing in congress you were doing before was it the reason why you ran so you could maybe do it at a different level more effectively . What was your reasoning why you wanted to run in the first place . Because, you know, running for office can be a really nasty thing as we know its a lot of peoples worst nightmare. Yeah i think to for office for me i, i deeply deeply i wanted to be. I want to be a bureaucrat. I wanted a cubicle in washington, in katie. No one wants to be buried. I wanted to be a bureaucrat. I wanted an end. I wanted to write laws. I wanted to write regulations, wanted to sue banks who cheated us. I wanted to to figure how to make home mortgages that dont put us all into foreclosure like happened here and across the country. So i applied for jobs in washington and it was always or i got people asked me are you interested in being considered for this . And i was always to something i was always not enough Management Experience to junior to senior to pregnant, to my favorite to colorful and so at point i can relate to them. I just looked at some point i decided and it was really after president was elected. It was yes, it was outrage at president trump. But to be honest with you. It was all so that when trump was elected, the opportunity i had to go to washington to work in the hillary what i thought was going to be the Hillary Clinton Camp Administration on housing and, on Consumer Protection. You know, i was i was on that supposed to be on the transition team. I went to nordstrom, bought tights. I bought like black boots, i bought wool things, and i pat them all on a huge suitcase. And i was going to go, you know, that was the day of the election and the next morning i was to fly out and to join the transition team. And and i rolled that right back into nordstrom and i said i would to think nordstrom has that return that return policy. Well, and i said she, i said i would like return all of this. And she said didnt, didnt, didnt anything work out. And i said, no. Oh, just like two days after trump was elected like, oh, lady, nothing worked. And theres not a no Strong Enough to properly do right. And so i think feeling like those doors of opportunity were just not open for me. So i, you know, i was like, well, ill just wait. Right, ill wait. Maybe somebody wait four years, wait eight years. And at some point i just decided i even like to wait in Grocery Store checkout line. Im the person who like ill be like, oh, theres pizza, fast checkout. Im getting in line. Like, dont get behind this guy, right . Like i my patient. And so i just decided, why am i waiting for somebody else to make it possible for me . Make a difference. I can just run. And so i really thought about it that way. And so was i was probably in office maybe six months when someone to me, blah, blah, blah, blah, you as a politician. And i was like politician where and i realized they were talking me and like i just didnt see myself that way. Yeah. Even though obviously thats what i am. So actually like i looked it up on wikipedia and thats what it said. Katie porter is an american politician. Yeah, i doesnt think of myself as a mother and as a professor or as a consumer and as a californian and i have this long list of things that i am that are my identity. Yeah. And i was like, oops like and as i say in the book, one of my favorite expressions is buy the ticket, take the ride. Yeah. And i think thats what happens when you when you run. Yeah. You the ticket and then when you have to take the ride of being in congress and sometimes its bumpy. Well you you of emerge as a superhero early you know in the marvel of congress i guess and its like yes it is maybe a little more xmen than it is. I mean, got to save us from somebody, right . But you people feel like youre saving us. Thats why i call you superhero, you know, instead a cape. You have your white board right whiteboard, your cape, right. Look, white board . Yes. Who . Whose idea was the white board . I want know. How did this start . Yeah so this started the first time i used it was in a hearing with with jamie diamond and the idea was we were going to lay out this budget. And so my stuff, amanda said, you know, we should we should just we should go through a whole budget. And i said, well we could write it out and, we could put it on a whiteboard. And then that way he wont say as so many students. I was a law professor. I ran for congress and i would ask these questions and then the student would say, can you repeat that, please and so i didnt want jamie diamond to do that. I didnt want him to because you only have 5 minutes. And so these are professionally coached. Staller i mean, they are coached i, have never heard anyone talk as slow. Yeah, as Mark Zuckerberg who is really trying to run down the clock on the 5 minutes. So we didnt get to ask him what the hell is wrong with you and facebook right. And so the really the of whiteboard was so that what i was going through do unlike this and so i was through the budget that he wouldnt be able to i couldnt follow that. Sorry. Repeat the question and get off the hook. Exactly. So its the same purpose i had in the classroom, which was really to to follow things along. But its also an accountability technique before we use the whiteboard, we had a hearing with i think it was before, but with fargo. Yeah. And we had found them saying something in a Court Document that was directly contradictory to what they were testifying to. Yeah. And so we blew that up real big. And so my colleague, i sat next to cindy actually in that committee was so good natured. Yeah. Know she she flipped tough seat in iowa actually where i grew up. She served for two terms and she lost this last congress. But sydney was so great. Yeah. I mean, i had to haul out big whiteboard in pocket, basically right in front of her face. And cindy would like hold onto the edge and so my colleagues. But she totally the two of them were really, you know. Yeah, good, good, good helpers in terms of me. Get the props going. Yeah. I love wells fargo story too, because you a run into the the person was the c you and he completely lied of course at first and ted wells fargo does make mistakes so that had to be a nice karmic moment. Yes. You know, to have it come full circle all those years later, wells fargo tried to tell me that when i was a researcher, i did a big study showing how wells fargo, they filed in bankruptcy cases when were trying to take peoples homes and they just screwed up all the time like the destruction, say, attack a copy of the mortgage. They just wouldnt attach it. Now, you know, if youre trying to get it to a bank loan or a credit card and you dont feel something out, right, you get denied. Exactly these guys werent attaching any of the documentation. Math didnt add up. They had things like. 792 miscellaneous write on their itemization of fees and and what they told me was, you know, i was wrong. They were they didnt make mistakes. And they obviously made a lot. It felt like a lot of that was intimidation, too, which of course, they use. How often you think, well, let me ask you this first do you think a lot of these banks are just crooked or do you think in. You ask this question to are they really making mistake and then just trying to cover it up. Yeah. So it turns out that cheating people is incredibly profitable. Yes. And that, you know, when i say it, it sounds obvious. Right. But ceos know that, too and so what a lot of companies do they bank on the fact that they probably wont get caught that will probably give up the 18th time we press one for an operator and input our number and get disconnected and and so they they know that were not going to fight back. Yeah and so and law consumer law Consumer Protection despite all of us liking to our rights protected it actually has not been traditionally a big focus of government. Yeah. And so know we have a lot of kind of its your fault if get cheated. I think a lot of people feel guilty and they which is a heres whats really weird is many people believe the banks when theyre making these false statements like this they must be right like they cant imagine that theyre acting poorly though they they might see the evidence right and from their eyes. Yeah. So we, i mean we definitely i was working as the foreclosure protection monitor for the state of california in 2012, 2013, 2014. I mean, bank of america at the time had a lot of loans in because they they made one of the great purchases of all time by buying countrywide. Yeah. And they you know, some of their excuses were just unbelievable. Like, well, i i guess we just dont know what they. Oh, well, then you dont get to take their home right. And so you remember asking bank of america once we said you said nobody responds, these people dont want to save their homes. And we said, well, the part you tell them that they might be able to prevent their house from being foreclosed is on the fourth page of single spaced ten point font letter. And they said to me, where do you think we should put that sentence . Those first, first, like, you know, how to use all of the fancy fonts and the bold and the you know when you get those credit card applications. I mean, confetti practically falls out. Look, my wedding invitation. Exactly. Then when youre in trouble and you ask for help you get buried in paperwork. And its an intentional strategy. And so i think, you know, the traditional rule in banking is that the customer pays all the fees twice, right . I mean, if youre doing it right, you just can charge and charge them and charge them. And people push back. You feel that the Younger Generation is avoiding a lot of home loaning and that kind of thing. There seem to a trend of people renting more. Do you think a lot of it is from. You know, a lot of them were very young during 2007 when that whole financial crisis up and the inflation now. Are people afraid of home owning and that kind of stuff. Now, do you think they cant afford it and . Thats thats the truth. We have a forever more incredible housing affordable crisis. And yes, manifests itself most visibly chronic street homelessness. Its so bad right now, but it is a for people and a lot of different walks of life, a lot of income levels, a lot of changes and stages of life. So i did an event recently, university of california davis and. I had a its really hard to get. Davis like you need like a four point something something and i didnt know that was 70 students, undergrad graduate students. And i said how many of you plan think that you will buy a home in california at some point in your life and not a single went up . Now those students of them probably will buy homes, but that is a serious, serious problem. And its not that they dont want to is that they cant afford to. Yeah. And the federal government needs to take a much, much bigger role in making housing affordable. Last time we made a really big investment in helping people buy houses was really in the gi bill. Yeah. After World War Two and look at the incredible growth and opportunity and stability that create. And so i think we need at the federal level to do a lot more on homeownership. And we in the Democratic Party need to identify, talk about housing as what it is the biggest facing many families. Yeah its terrible when i look at when you look at the last 3040 years Housing Education out of control in terms of the inflated cost of the student, theyve kind of grown up together where Everything Else is kind of a third one. Yeah, sure. Child care. Yeah when we just talked about how unaffordable housing is for people, when you survey california families that have children and ask them what is their biggest expense child care is even more expensive than housing. Yeah. And so when my daughter went, i was recruited here like so many. I came here for a job. I came here for the opportunity. And who the hell would ever leave this place. Yeah. So terrific here. Its amazing. And when i got here, my daughter went to university of california, irvine, and i was so excited that they had onsite daycare, so great. I already had two boys that were a and betsys to be a four year old at the university of california, irvine costs more than it would have cost for her to be an undergrad do it and you know you only get nine months to save for the the childcare you get at month 18 years to save for the college basically and thats, by the way, not anomalous to california. About half of states child care costs, child care, tuition more than college tuition. Thats crazy. Instate public college. Why are those why are those costs so high . Well, part of it is, is that it too eager to invest in the people doing work. Children take a lot of work. And so its very, very hard have the ratios and the the enrichment, the safety, the location and everything that we need. This is why we have public schools, because we had to fund our own school that would be prohibitively so. I think we need to, in child care understand it as investment in our workforce. It as a way to have strong labor force participation. People will say to me, well, i dont have any kids. And i would say, yes, but do you want to have take care of you when youre old . Its going to be that kid, right . And so i think we have to think about treating child as this economic Building Block that is the way how every other one of our competitors nations understands child care, which is a Building Block, a strong economy. Yeah, your children an important part in your book as well. Im really struck by how inventive stealing like the neighbors a lawn sign of your computer. Very funny moving in there. They seem to be very understanding of what youre doing. But as a parent. I know, theres got to be some guilt about missing events and that type of stuff. Do they a Good Relationship with mom being away lot and maybe of these things that arent normal for them are they with their. Yeah. I mean i think its mixed i think they have their moments when theyre very proud of me and i think they have their moments when they would just like their mom to only on them. And i think thats pretty natural. I think a lot of parents and a lot of walks of life this from their kids. But but you know they they definitely i think overall i guess what i would say is one of them said to me, i wouldnt say this has been a good experience, but i guess an experience im glad ive had. And i think thats kind of how they think about it. But you know, when they ive had my two older sons, each one has given my Election Night speech. My oldest son gave it in 2018. My son paul gave it this year. Yeah. And it was very clear from giving those speeches that they understand on some very basic kind of why it matters to have people in our democracy who are willing to be tough and who are willing to fight and, who are willing to hold people to account. And they have me hold them to account. Like what about that laundry, right. And so they, you know, that seems like i cleaned my room when i was like, ooh, dont make me. So one of the things i have in the book is i have a little section how to whiteboard anyone about anything and the example i give in the book is that my son, we call him l. B. For laundry boy and he gets paid dollars and 0. 50 an hour to do the laundry. Now, he does not fold. He just puts it in the button, moves it, hits the. So i do a little whiteboard in the book showing that, you know, paul tried to negotiate for a raise. And i did a little for him. And i was like, lets see one minute, dump it in one minute, put the detergent. And i added it up and pauls making 1875 an hour to do this laundry. And i said, paul, do you that there are people out and dangerous and dirty and difficult jobs making 7. 50 an hour. You are not getting a raise in 1875. And he said you should raise the minimum wage. And i was like hes right. Hes right. I should raise the minimum wage. But his solution was that i got to solve the of workers not making so that he could then be in a stronger position negotiate. You should have turned and you just go white boy yeah boy bam. So now you want to run for the senate thing saying. Senator feinsteins going to move. Were not sure what the timing of that will be. Whether shes going to be there for the of her term. Do you think is she stepping aside . I know. Had some illness recently. Yeah. She got shingles which are very painful and terrible. So shes been out for the last few weeks. I dont know her exact timeline on returning, but she has already announced that she wont for reelection. Right. So her time in the senate, whether she continues all the way up to the end of her term or she makes the decision to to step down sooner, i am absolutely know. I bought the ticket. Im taking the ride. Im in it to win it. And i think campaign the Senate Campaign is so important for california. We really need to a conversation about what we want from our federal government and what do we want from our leaders and how do we think about how to position california to to push the nation to to be better and to do better. How can california lead and how can we get federal attention on some of the problems were facing. And so i think the senate race is about our kind of toughest fighter. Washington and i would be proud to have that opportunity and im ready to get to work better. Yeah. I mean talk about the federal level of course should be fighting for how tough is it at the federal level to stop some of the things happening to me i think one of the worst things going on now is this whole. Ill call it the abortion debacle is when ill call it the abortion mishegoss. I think repealing roe v wade was of the worst things ever. Its just such to me. Its just a complete disrespect for women having agency over their bodies when it comes to that. I just think its terrible. But whats happening in the states even worse, it seems like this is like a thats starting. Is there anything that can be done at the federal level . Maybe in a role of senator to i mean, with states rights and play and all that stuff . You do anything . Yep. So what the Supreme Court did in the dubs is overturn, which said that there is a constitutional to an abortion. So theres no longer under a constitutional protection for abortion that doesnt mean there cannot be a federal right to it. That is given to us all by congress. So we dont need to. I mean, while would really like to mix up the Supreme Court we dont need to wait for that to restore everybodys freedom to make their own decisions about when and if to start a family. We can do that. Passing a law in congress that guarantees the right to an abortion at the federal level. And you know, we had the majority in in Congress Last you know until until january and we did not get this across the finish line and we passed it the house it was congresswoman judy chu here from l. A. , whos bill the womens Patient Protection act. We passed it in the house. We had that democratic majority and we sent it over to the senate. Where lately good ideas have gone to die. And they didnt take it up. And so they you know, they hide behind filibuster. Why do you think they didnt pick it up . I think because theres got to be a reason. I mean, for Something Like that, its not like, oh, its a diversity. Okay. Whats this . That . No, no, no. Thats huge. Yeah. So i think theres two reasons. One is the the continued kind of fealty to the filibuster, which is an an institution, a rule, that if it ever served a purpose, it longer does. And what the filibusters doing today is allowing senators to avoid having to take votes and show their constituents exactly where they stand. And so anybody who thinks, well, this vote might not make everybody happy can can just basically a hold on it and cancel the vote. And i think the reality is, even if we had gotten the filibuster, i dont know that we had 51 votes. I dont that senator manchin would have would have taken this vote. And so i think this is why its really important that we that we get if we get the right 50 and we get to 51, and then we we rid of the filibuster in the senate needs to start doing its job which is you know traditionally its been the last line of defense for our democracy will we ever see supermajorities the senate again like a 60 seat senate that of thing. Are those days over . I think those days are not coming soon. I wouldnt say never. I think its very, very unclear. The Republican Party goes from here. How they rebuild. I think theyre going to lose in 24. And i think that biden has more. Joe biden has, more affirmative achievements to on than any president. Recent history. This is somebody who was just so many accomplishments bringing down the cost of insulin, bipartisan infrastructure law is so many things to run on and. So i think the question is what republicans do post this loss in 2024. And i think if they if they continue down this path of extremism, if they continue down this path of hate, i think theyre going to continue to lose Younger Voters who, by the way pretty quickly become middle age voters who pretty quickly. Right. So theres theres not a growth path for them unless they rethink their their partys values. So we could see getting to a supermajority, but a tremendous cost. Right. Well, let me ask you an uncomfortable question on that do is President Biden do you see connecting for this i mean i know you have cbs and everything but i. Im trying to figure out how to ask this properly because i do want be respectful. I do like President Biden. I mean, i think hes very old right now in a way. Let me say let me say properly, in a way that is not conducive to running for office, lets say, because running for office has a different metric than governing. You know, running for office is a lot about, you know, the sheen you know, i mean, kennedy won the debate on television. Nixon won it on the radio. You know, thats part of running for office, you know, a real vibrant young republican candidate against biden, you know, i mean vibrantly crazy. But i mean, look, america has has not proven that they will not vote for. Thats right. Thats right. Yeah. So when you say this, i mean, think that the sort of its interesting to hear try to craft the question. Let me let you in on a little. Is the mofo too old . Thats that President Biden knows that hes old, less secret. Hes aware. He knows hes old. Like we dont have to tiptoe around that. The man the man has, you know, he has birthdays like the rest of us. He knows how old he. And so, look, his campaign thing, every president s Campaign Looks a little different. I mean, i remember clinton . I grew up in iowa so ive seen all of these yahoos make their passes through iowa and they all have their own style. They all have their own strengths and weaknesses. President biden is not going to campaign in the same way that his strengths are, interpersonal, his strengths are his compassion, his ability to kind of not take a lot of the partizan bait, but instead talk about what matters to america his strengths are getting done. And so i think hes got a lot strength to run on. But you know, hes, hes not going run the same campaign that president obama ran. But to be clear. Let me give you an example, president. I went to a womens History Month thing at the white house last month and President Biden said something that has really stayed with me. President biden has appointed more black women, federal judges than every prior american president put together. Yeah, right. So right. President obama, including the Supreme Courts. President obama was, you know, he could fill the stadium and president obama really struggled to get judges appointed. So i think each of these people is their own people. And as we think about who comes after President Biden, i think well be thinking about what we need from our party, what do we need to do and grow our so, you know, i think hes got a lot of issues where i really do see him connecting with Younger Voters. Child care is one of them. Student loan debt to three years of Community College. I think he has a lot to say to Younger Voters, but hes probably not going to say it on. Okay. Well, did you say tic tac . I saw that. Yeah, im just he goes off and starts talking corn pipe and things like that and starts smelling peoples hair and its like, joe, joe, stop and chew. No, no. I will say i have had many chances to interact with the president and, you know, i was a cochair of the Elizabeth Warren campaign. So, you know, i was on another team right, at least for a while. And i had a lot of these jokes. Then i have i am really, really that impressed with President Biden. And, you know, my daughter, betsy, whos 13, has had chance to meet the president. And she is a superfan. And this is like the real definition of Younger Voters. She wont even make it in time him. So i think we stand with him, we help him, we knock doors, we help connect with young people for him. But i feel really, really good about his chances and about him are democrats united right now. Weve always felt that they have seemed to have been divided a lot particularly in bidens first year. You know, the all the resistance to that bill like i remember it was was between the democrats, you know. Yeah. All the fighting about it, you know, where is the party right now . Yeah, i think everyones united behind biden. They think its because he has delivered on so many priorities and on the ones that he hasnt gotten done two, four years of Community College child, for example. He is clear that that work remains and then hes committed to doing it. So i think that we are very united behind biden. I think were eager to see him reelected. Were eager to retake the house so we can go back to getting things done and to have a senate that actually passes the bills that the democratic sends them. And so i feel really good about our prospects that you mentioned that debate about the sort of democratic infighting right. You know, some of that is and this is really goes to the title of the book politics is messy or that my minivan, which is not clean, is that some of that tension democrats is healthy and is normal and think we all sort of want this to be seamless and easy but if its seamless and easy were were actually not doing by house were people thought about democracy looks like and so i think that some of that tension was healthy and the goal was we wanted to make sure the president got his agenda passed right both the bipartisan infrastructure law and the stuff and build back better. And so we were trying to sequence in a way where we felt like if we passed a bipartisan infrastructure law first, some of our democratic colleagues wont be there for us to pass the build back. Better act, wont be there for us on issues like child and climate and other things. And yes, im talking about joe manchin and him out of my podcast. Anyway. What would you say are the dems biggest vulnerability and do you see yourself running for senate for senator as a way to, you know, up some of those vulnerabilities, maybe with some of ideas of. Yeah, yeah. Democrats need to understand that it is going to be enough. It ever was. It is not going to be enough going forward. Simply say the two things that were very good saying. Im a democrat and im better than that guy that thats not enough here. And i think one of the things about trump was that it was very easy for democrats to kind say, like, were not trump. Right. And i mean, low bar, low bar right. And so as we look at people who are registering to vote and younger people new voters may be immigrants, people who are citizens, they are increasingly registering as no Party Preference, as independents, really. And not theyre not registering as no Party Preference voters because. Theyre unsure what they believe they are registering is no Party Preference because they are concerned that neither is really fighting for. Theyre concerned about who take corporate pac money. Theyre concerned about democratic congress. That will not pass ban on congressional stock trading. And so i think we have to really invest in delivering for people and rebuilding trust in government and we have real work to do as democrats and thats because i share the values of the Democratic Party that i want to see us grow that party to be able to reach out to Younger Voters. So, you know, i said jokingly at an event the other day to one of my democratic colleagues, i said, you know, what do you think about the democratic platform on housing . And he laughed and he said, yeah, we dont have one. So this is the number one issue that people care about right now, not just in california, but actually across country. So we do have work to as a party. I think we have a great job of motivating, engaging young to turn out because things of donald trump abortion being on the ballot, lgbtq rights, trans rights being under attacked. But we have to keep those folks trusting that democrats will fight for them. Mm hmm. Has it been different with pelosi handing off the baton to hakeem . Yeah, i think leader has their own style. Each leader has their own style. I think, you know, Speaker Pelosi had kind of strong long, strict mom vibes and i think that was great. You know that was important. Thats how she heard it all. Of us to to come together and to vote bills. I mean, you know, people someone to me once like youre fearless and i, i thought myself should i tell them that i once hid in the womens bathroom after taking a vote so the speaker couldnt find me. I mean, and when i went in there by way, there were other people hiding. There was a whole little group of us hiding in the womens bathroom and which, of course, she can come in and find. We could have hidden the mens and but so i think that, you know, each leader has their strength. I think Speaker Pelosi was really good at kind of creating that that voting discipline and keeping everyone, you know, this is what were going to do. And youre to get in the boat and were all going to point this, i think hakeem is a really gifted communicator. Think hes a very naturally comfortable communicator. Hes from a different part of the country is from new york is the first black speaker. And so i think they both have Different Things. The house definitely feels different with a key man in charge instead of nancy. And i think, you know, people have their different preferences. But i think that that transition is very, very healthy and democrats need to have confidence in this next generation of leaders and this next generation of leaders needs to earn our confidence for sure. Thats a fact. Well, i think were going to get to questions pretty soon. But before we do, well just do like, well, i call this a lightning round quick lightning round. And i only do a little bit differently. Actually, ive never done it. So this is the first time. So think about im like, how am i doing different . But since youre single mom, right . Single. Theres a term. Yeah, no, im going to give you some statements here and going to either swipe left or swipe right. Its okay. Swipe left. No disagree or swipe right. That sounds good. You know, or you agree with it. Okay. There is a real benefit to both partizanship bi partizanship is good swipe left or swipe right . Swipe right. Bipartisanship is good because it often reflects that the American People feel bipartisanship is good when when it reflects that the American People share a set of values. Okay, so we have bipartisanship because a bunch of people, washington, want to cover their. That is not thats thats swipe left when we have bipartisanship because literally everybody that our bridges shouldnt crumble that is really positive thing. It is easier to succeed and to govern and to thrive. If you have less disagreement. So if we can get to that bipartisanship, compromising core values, thats positive is the hardest thing. The things are added unto those bills, though, from especially from the extreme factions of any particular party. Oh, i mean, look who is getting harder and harder and harder in my five years in congress is harder and harder to find. Republicans that one can actually collaborate, communicate with, feel safe in an elevator with. I mean, its getting tougher. And so that i is a real problem. And i think when we talk about gerrymandering and we talk about sort of how boundaries are drawn for districts, were often really really focused on how this might make it harder to elect a democrat. For example. Thats true. But it also really gerrymandered districts also mean that the the republicans get more crazy. Right . Right. So you have people who represent, you know, the most democratic districts and those people more and more. And so i think its its good to be able to communicate with americans, republicans, democrats and independents. I dont share the value of all of my constituents. I represent Orange County, but i have to be able to communicate with all of them. I have to be able to listen respectfully to all of them. So yeah, i would say yeah, okay. Marjorie Taylor Greene is the craziest person in congress that is like batshit crazy. Left to swipe right, swipe right. Ooh swipe right. I need she is a different category i have to say. Okay please tell us everything you know the no i mean look, dont leave anything out. My basic my basic rule about marjorie is like how far is far enough for the personal safety threshold . Again, it was a there was an atm is what i was a scout. I was scout leader. And when you teach the kids how to use the pocket knife you have something called the circle and the idea is, you know, could the knife cut anybody . And thats how i think about marjorie. I dont go in her in her. I mean, shes shes shes a lot. Shes a lot. And shes not very functional shes not very effective. There are republicans i strongly disagree with who like i have constant battles with graves from louisiana. Like basically, you know mr. Fossil fuel but you dont care. Its not of like he i hes weak. I just disagree. With him like truly doctor. I mean i mean, i think a different a different level. A different a different beast. I agree. I agree. Will the tangerine idi amin the Orange Julius caesar is i come actually go to prison swiping left or swiping on there. I would say probably not as much as that hurts my swiping left. Thats not my thats not what i want. Im telling you what i think is going to happen. Yeah, i, i agree with you about that. The wheels of justice turn slowly. Hes also by way old and joe biden from the homeowner doesnt know what. It doesnt know that oh that fast food is keeping him. I thought id say kfc is like propping him up. Yeah. So i dont. So i, i am not certain that we will see that. I agree with him now. I do think. You know, i think these state charges, you know, i think theyll pursue the head and i think there could be more state charges we dont really know where the federal charges or if theyre ever going to come. Weve been waiting awfully long time. Yeah. So as you know, i think it was important for the january Six Commission to do its work they took two full years to do it and consequence of that is and all the doj is taking and you know, four months and counting and so i think the longer we wait and the closer get to the president ial election, were going to were going to defeat donald trump and. Just not sure that its going to be by incarcerating him rather than just beating him. The Old Fashioned way. And thats know, thats not satisfying. But realistically, look, i mean, i spent my career watching, you know, wall street bankers, but i watched them take the World Economy and then get in there yet. Yeah so people get away with things. People get away with things. And i think its a real problem for our government. Accountability and more oversight is needed. But yeah, i think its going to be know trumps going to have very good lawyers and hes going to stall. And i think its going to take a lot to to put him away. And its going to be beautiful. Yeah, okay, last one. President katie porter are you swiping left . Are you like are you swiping love . Are you trying to swipe. No, on this one. Im very. Wheres going. I need some some tea that i can throw you. Yeah. Yeah. No, i am i am very focused. On becoming senator. Katie porter and could you know, i, i think of the things that i was important to in the book was to try to be honest about how i what i thought, congress would be like, what it was really like, what i learned some of the folks who, you know, the guy told me to be vote 218 and i was like, are right. Im going to be katie porter not. 218 but but theres work to be theres learning to be done. And so im just so excited about being to engage more in the state, to more to hear more california voices, to solve more problems, to be a vibrant fighter for california, the senate, and to help us win. By the way, in every part and pocket of california and this country, california needs to have a senator who knows how win tough races, who knows how to win. You can send me to montana. I was a nine year years. Send commitment in a for jon tester im there i showed pigs im ready jon right me to ohio for Sherrod Brown to talk about what predatory lending and payday lending does to gut the prospects of communities of color and people of color to build wealth. So im really committed to making sure that i become a senator and as senator that i deliver a durable majority for democrats for years come. But theyre going, all right, fabulous. So we take some questions from the audience. Yes, it is time to take questions from audience. Just a quick reminder around here. Questions typically begin with a w or an h, sometimes a d, they are generally short. There is no such thing as a two part question. And tonight only Larry Wilmore gets to ask follow up questions. Oh, very. Yes. Im from west hollywood. And you have two very excellent competitors in senate race. We have to acknowledge that there may be more. We know. How is it that you better prepared to be than are the two . So both adam schiff and barbara lee. Terrific. And we should be we should say that about each other as much as we can, because we all three have made important contributions and all three of us are, i think, terrific californians. And so im honored be in a race with them. I think thing that i can bring to job thats different about me is what i was talking about at the end. I know how to win possible vote when you knock doors in huntington beach, you can do and. And so i think when i think how are we going to win back the house is no path to doing that. That doesnt involve winning tough seats in california. And we need someone at the top of the party, at the top of the ticket who will see things, will message and who will engage who makes it easier for everybody . Win down ballot here in california. But also those senate and house races across the country. I think the other thing is look, i, i would say this in the book i didnt go to washington to follow the rules. I went to washington to rewrite them because the way that weve always done things in washington is not getting what they need. Sometimes and so im the only person in this race who has never taken corporate pac money. I am the only person in this race does not take federal lobbyist money and for me that is about demonstrating to folks that they count on me to fight and push for them. And so, you know, i think that is going to be a big issue its about rebuilding trust in government. So folks have seen me go toe toe with big pharma as exposing why prescription drugs are so expensive. And the answer is because theyre lining their own pockets as executive, they have seen me push the director of the cdc to make covid testing free. Right. And that actually happened. And we all began to be able get some covid testing. So i think i have my own particular skill set. Adam and barbara have theirs. This is going to be robust and amazing race for california that if we do it right, its going energize our whole state and help us rebuild party for years to come. Do you. Yeah that. Do you feel like youll not be fighting for votes but kind of fighting establishment running against someone like adam schiff and beverly . Yeah. I mean, look, they they both then they combined theyve been in congress about 50 years. And i bet there five. So its not good or bad. Its just different. And i think its up to voters to decide how they weigh those Different Things and i think that, you know, one of the things that i talk about a lot when we talk about diverse leadership and representation is that includes multigenerational. So i think that it is important to have people in congress in the senate, the house who have been there for generations. And it is important to have people who are relatively and its that mix and that synergy that i think produces the most productive and representative and responsive congress we can have. There is an establishment in washington, and i am not part of it and im okay with that. Yeah, i mean, i have friends. Yeah. And then i have colleagues and i think true for a lot of us and some of my friends are, my colleagues, but i didnt go to washington to to kind of curry favor become the darling of the lobbyists cheese. You know this cheese cube reception like im not there that i am there to get things done and i am there to to hold people, powerful people to account and. So, yeah, i think i think thats probably right. I mean, some people have said to me, well, you know ive known adam for 35 years. I was was 14 then. So were just different, right. And, you know, some people have said to me, we need more black women in the senate. To which i say a man we do. And so for people thats going to mean voting for barbara lee. Some people have said were not making any progress on growing the number of women were still at half what representation would look like. So i think everybodys going to have different factors and things that they weigh. But i think what really stands out for me is the willingness to stand up to powerful corporations, to fight for ordinary families, and the ability to win tough races and communicate across party lines without ever compromising my values. Ill give you that to ill give you a quick tip of how to answer the question. We know were black women in the senate. I agree with your sister. You know, if you could state for that. Yeah. You just go we really we need more latino women. We mean indigenous women, right . I mean, we need more women, period. And we need people most of all, whoever they are, who will fight for what black families, black women need. Because for too long there, needs have been ignored by the establishment in washington. And i spent a lot of my career fighting predatory lending, fighting to make sure that health care is more affordable, fighting to make sure that childcare workers paid a livable wage. So its about getting things done for for black women and for people of color. And we should all be very committed to that project that so i. Katie oh, im sorry, i. Katie i think you may have already answered original question since you i originally was going to ask what is your what is your strategy to win so you already kind of answered that but then i guess id do a follow question is i recently heard something on the case here w the local npr station. They were talking about gavin newsom might be able to appoint someone if if it comes up and it didnt sound favorable for you to get that. And then of course, if someone gets appointed, they kind of have a leg up. So im not sure what we can do to you to to win. You forget about knocking off senator feinstein. No, no, no but i think there is some version of gavin newsom. I be able to appoint someone if she. So let me just let me this is how i always try to answer questions. Let me just start with the facts that we all are on the same page and we all know this works in california when there is a senate vacancy, the governor makes an appointment and we all just saw happen which is Kamala Harris our Vice President and newsom appointed alex padilla and senator patty is serving he served out the rest of senator harriss term and then he ran for reelection and won. And so now hes going to serve out a full six year term. So if senator feinstein were to not her term through the end, 2024, then Governor Newsom would be able to appoint someone Governor Newsom publicly promised on tv about two years ago that if there was another vacancy that would appoint a black woman and look, i think politicians should keep their promises. Thats gavins promise. I think he should probably keep it. I think i what i will say you is i think that all of us who to be senator should run and. I think actually senator feinstein herself said this. Anybody who wants to throw their hat in the ring and run to be california senator and can earn those votes and do the work should do it. And so whether theres an appointment or not. Senator feinstein, i very much hope she recovers and comes back and is a full. But whatever happens, im going to stay this race. Im im running to win this right. Yeah im a super fan i knocked on doors in Orange County for you this past. But im one of those voters who to see more black men women in the senate. So id like to hear your thoughts on the the Racial Injustice and, lack of Racial Equity in the country but specifically maybe commenting on whats going on tennessee right now on gun violence and as an issue that affects communities of color disproportionately and on the racism that is so blatant that were all witnessing. You have a lot in that question. So for so for so many these issues, the answer is that we need to have the votes get the the laws passed so with whats happening with gun violence prevention is we simply do not people said to me why doesnt Congress Pass gun violence prevention . And the answer is because we have too many people in congress who will not vote for it. Im not trying to make it too simple that that really is the problem we have a lot of people who refuse to vote for gun violence prevention and they go back home and they campaign and they get reelected. And we need to change that. So i think one of the things that i can i can to the table is i know how to campaign. I said this before, know how to campaign in a way thats going to help us win some of those tough seats and we win more of those tough seats. We can deliver on the very priorities that communities of color, particularly. And so if we let the republicans stay in the majority, if we allow california to become kind of the national boogeyman for the Democratic Party, then were not going to have a majority. Were not going to win the majorities that we need in the house and senate to deliver. I was sitting in the house, i was elected with so many amazing colleagues from 2018. I cannot wait to see some of these folks who are my dear friends, folks like ayanna and Lauren Underwood and lisa blunt, rochester and joni goose. There are so many amazing folks who i think that we going to diversify our congress. We are going to have the kind of diverse representation that we need. And im all in for helping those people there. But go, hi, my name sara. Im in actually in Orange County. I have two separate questions on a two part question. So. One of them is a freebie. So worry. The first question is you said politics like an insane mess. So i wonder how you do retain your sanity and how you are able to like sort of yourself from all the like just insanity and how you yourself from being entrenched in it. And then the second question is how do i get involved in your campaign oh, so nice. The, the first question about how do you retain your sanity . I mean, i think part of writing the book was part of that process for me trying to find a little bit of space and kind of think what happened and why do i feel this way and how do i put structure on it . But i would definitely say for me its its coming, its coming home, its coming to california and. So you sort of do your days in washington and they can it can be difficult and, you know, you come home and you come back to california and you come back to the Amazing Things that were doing here and the vision that we all have for our state. And you come to the piles of laundry and its all very grounding. And so i think that has been a big part of it. And then i think in terms of getting involved in the campaign, you can go to katie porter dot com and sign up and were about ten months away from the primary election. Its march 5th, so voting will start february 5th. And so were going to be getting organized here over the summer to more events and to do more. I grew up in a state in iowa, pretty much if you wanted to meet a candidate, you just for president. You went down to the pizza ranch. And so when i got here, i started my first campaign. I mean, hope was that i would be able to shake, you know, maybe 100,000 hands, 200,000 hands and the attitude in california is often very different. Its we left the size and scale of the state in which you cannot possibly meet 9 Million People somehow work as an excuse, sometimes meet none. And im very committed having that not be the case. So im very excited about being out and about in the community. I just took a tour of the pinata toy district here, los angeles. I was up in davis. I mentioned, i did an event in Huntington Park at Environmental Justice issues. Im heading to san diego, and so ill be out and about campaigning. Therell be ways to get involved, but you can go sign up on the website at katie porter dot and stay up to date on things to get involved with. You alluded to california you dont want to be the national boogeyman. What do you mean by and what way is it or is portrayed as the national boogeyman . Yeah. So i think there has been, you know, sometimes we see this in, in political advertisements, you know, what is happening in San Francisco used or what is supposedly purportedly happening in San Francisco gets in ads in places like chicago or in minneapolis or, you know, California Democratic state. So vote democrats in this or that will happen. I think, you know, because weve elected Party Leaders both and and Speaker Pelosi and now in Speaker Mccarthy those folks kind of loom large in the in the political and so i think you know, one of the things that i think california export because of the size of the state of the strength of our values and, our vision and our diversity is, we should really be able to to help people win and to be able to say, weve done it here and we want to help you do it where you are. And so i think its important to messengers who make it easier, not harder for folks to win. Yeah, i, i definitely think its going through some identity crises and it needs to actually win in some of these areas too. Theres so many problems here, especially in southern california, especially with homelessness, as you were saying, affordable housing. But anyhow, i was trying to say that real fast. We can get to the question. Hi, my name is gardenia. Thank you so much for being here tonight. My question is, how do you prioritize . Its the different needs of your concerted you arent and is it a lot like priority housing the different needs of your children . Yeah. So think with the constituents of it is about trying to balance what are their top with where there are opportunities and try to line those up. And so this year for example the three bills that i think were likely to to pass in this congress and to have signed into law are the farm bill, the faa, the federal Aviation Administration reauthorization act, and the National Defense appropriations act. So on the farm bill example, Orange County has Serious Problems with hunger and with people having food insecurity. So the farm bill, a major vehicle to try to invest in that california as we grow fruits and vegetables for the nation but yet our farm bill really does not do right by our producers and by consumers who trying to afford fresh fruits and vegetables. So theres a lot of opportunity. So sometimes its its looking at whats there. And i think most of all, i do it by to my constituents. You really if youre searching for the answer, what the American People want, you are not going to find it in. The halls of the capitol, youre going to find in your community. So a lot the work ive done on Mental Health and, better Insurance Coverage for Mental Health, the work ive done, cracking down on big as work that theyve because folks in california have to me about what a problem this is in their in terms of my kids i mean you know theres a lot theres a lot of color coded spreadsheets. Theres a lot of calendar reminders, theres a lot of stringing together. I think most working parents, you just try to do the best can. And sometimes fall short. I recently was in washington voting until friday and flew back and had to leave at 5 a. M. On monday morning and didnt have time to go to the Grocery Store. But i had a meal prepped so i had meals made for my kids in advance, but i didnt go to the grocery and so there were no there was no cinnamon toast crunch and, there were no cheezits and. My children referred to this period, the great famine. And so, you know, you some you lose some. I mean, i pointed out its irvine and its half a mile to the Grocery Store and they can just walk on down there. And they said, my one son said they taste better. You buy them here in the in the back here, back in the back. You high representative porter, thank you so much for being here. My is emmanuel. I wanted to talk with you about an issue that is really relevant to young voters, which is climate, Environmental Justice. I live and grew up in south los angeles, according to a study that was recently published by the guardian had the second worst air pollution in whole country and given experience on the Natural Resources committee. Being a cosponsor of the Green New Deal, i wanted to ask what aspects of the new deal you think would really valuable in those issues . Not just in my own community, but an issue in communities like that across the state. Yeah. Thank for your question. And as i mentioned, i recently was in southeast l. A. , did a whole event around Environmental Justice looking at some of the pollution and some of the contamination. So i think its really important as we about transitioning and moving toward clean that we think about making sure that we are rectifying as part of that transition some of the costs of our fossil fuel dependance. And so i think this means putting a lot of resources into having our ports be cleaner on the communities surrounding the ports suffer some of the worst air pollution and, Water Pollution in the country. I think it means we think about protecting land and setting land aside. President biden made a promise 30 of federal set aside for conservation by 2030. The fast way do that is just to protect like a big chunk montana. But that isnt going to deliver the shake up in the recreation space deal with some of the of of heat extreme heat zones that we need do so i think theres a the part of the Green New Deal that i think is sort of the most misunderstood. But that really, really important is that it is a transformational trust from fossil fuel to clean energy, but also so a transformation from, a workforce that is exposed toxins and that is made sick from communities that are polluted into into jobs where people are safe and free pollution and communities that all have the opportunity to have clean air and clean water and good public health. And thats thats why we dont talk about it as just an energy bill. We talk about it as an entire new deal in that would really, really realign and address some of the historical that we face. Really great question. Do you think that the attention environmental existentialism kind of takes away from a criminal justice . You know, in some of the issues this gentleman about because what youre saying how people, you know, should be able live in their own communities is very important, arguably important than the earth may go away. You know. Well, you know, some of these arguments, not that theyre not important this is the frame. I think thats the bait and switch comes from. People cant see that these are the actual issues. So i the great thing is the path to energy is also a path to addressing environmental injustices. If we do it right. And that means we need folks who live in community that have been hurt by pollution and we need people of color and who are who have been exposed to these kinds of clean air and dirty, dirty air and dirty water to be of the clean energy, be part of the climate. And we need to center and listen to those voices. And i think, the chairman of the Natural Resources committee, raul grijalva, is really terrific doing this. But this means that when were siting solar or were thinking about where to put Wind Turbines where we going to put the manufacturing, thats going to manufacture these new wind and solar things . What about, you know, mining, Rare Minerals and minerals that we need for batteries . We need to not make the same mistakes regard to mining for those minerals that we need for clean energy, that we with regard to oil production, it cant the same communities and the same people, particularly people of who always pay the price for something that we all benefit from is ample energy. Sure. Absolutely. Two more questions. Okay. Here we go. Hello my names lauren. I actually came for larry, but im so happy that i came because i learned so much. So so i. Im a mother and im also a here to california. And ive actually lived in four other states and. California is by far the most difficult that ive lived in while raising kids, knowing that youre a single mother and also kind of considering and kind of knowing, thinking about the max mass exodus that weve seen in california post the pandemic. What are some of the ways that you have worked in ensuring that there is an easier way for us to bridge the gap between working families, those families that fight for resources thats in comparison to affluent families and families that seem have resources at their fingertips. Yep. So i think this goes back a little bit to how i was talking about childcare earlier, which is i think that republicans will present choices to invest in what families need and they dont use the word invest, right . They use the word of you of of giveaways. Right. To families in need. Thats something takes away from those who are not in need. And i think that is incredibly mistaken and wrongheaded, dangerous. We all benefit from a strong, stable globally economy. All us. Well, maybe if youre like a bankruptcy, you dont benefit. But everybody else benefits from a strong, stable globally economy. And to do that, to have that workforce thats going to deliver that economy, we need to be investing in Early Childhood education for. Every single child. Right. To have that. To have the ability to compete for the kinds of high tech jobs that we need, we need to invest in making sure every child with the talent and the capacity to go to college age has a spot in the system and is able to afford to get there. And so i think one of the things that democrats really need to lean into is talking about these programs as what they are, which is, you perversely beneficial, right . Its not about what do i get and what do get and what are you going to do for this person and that person . Its that lifting up and making sure that every has the opportunity to thrive makes the lives of those are already thriving, better and more rewarding. And that is the shift that i think democrats to really lean into helping see. So i have people who say to me, i dont want to, you know, i paid for my college, so i dont want do anything about the costs of College Going forward. Well, you paid dollars a semester and that was great and good for you but i want the people who are going to take care of me as i age to be educated, to be trained to be skilled. I want there to be workforce here in our state and, here in our country. So i think the republicans and this is, i think a legacy going back to reagan but is continue to don is to really present everything as a scarcity. Theres not enough of anything. And so we have to choose who gets it that is complete nonsense. Education is not like diamonds. If we need more universities and spots in our u. S. System, then by god, we should have them right. And its a false choice to treat that. Something that we cant afford. We cant, in fact, not to educate person to their capacity. And so, you know, we cant afford not to have children who are flourishing and thriving. So when we when we think about Food Assistance for somebody whos experiencing hunger, that that person fed and nourished, that is an investment in our future economy, thats an investment in a future worker and a coworker and, a neighbor and a colleague and someone i worship with. So i think that politics we need to have a politics abundance. We are the wealthiest nation, the world, and we need to live collective, collective like it. I think. Yeah, i agree. Its funny. Its ironic that for years and Years College was pretty much free in california and reagan changed that kind of out of space to. Get back at the students who were protesting against. A little bit history you guys say it was free and our question do we have one more or darling back . Yeah. Hi. My name is dorothy and you are my i live in Orange County. I live in huntington beach. And this question, this is a statement to you. You have the skill set to make changes and to be a force the federal government. I am going to say the w word, which is stay woke, but i want you not get weary. Remember i am counting on you to do, john lewis said, and get good trouble. Oh, thank you. Thank you. I just if i can pick up on that, i. I think what she said to me is something that that i want to reflect back on to all of you and something that i talk a little bit about in book. Nobody gets elected alone. I dont care how much pretend they are not. So let me people get elected because of people who help, people who knock doors, people who chip in 3, people who remember to vote on a day when theyre just want to go home. And so we all need to kind of support each other and not getting weary. Democracy is hell of a lot of work, but by its its good work. It is righteous work. And so i think we all need to support ourselves in this and i think we need find time and moments to our successes. And i think one of the things the republicans with their antics to put it gently, are kind of doing is is stripping away our ability to celebrate the Amazing Things that we have and that we and that we do accomplish. I think that that is really rooted in we have all been doing in this last few years. So i dont want any of you to get either because we are in this together and i think the future of california and of this country is incredibly bright and i am excited to be part of it with you at my back. So thank you so. Yeah. Awesome. I want take. Off and i want to thank representative porter for being here. It really, truly has been an honor and a pleasure. You know im a huge fan of yours because you are doing that real work. It gives. Its a pleasure to read this book, by the way. I told you she should do a podcast behind the scenes and that kind of stuff. Know, i think people would love to hear from her on that because youre just so effortless and just natural. So its an honor to be here. Thanks you guys for coming out. Really appreciate it and for listening. Black in the air, l. A. Live talks. How about another half hour. Representative katie porter, possibly fannie and freddie or dont know. We dont know. Thanks for coming