Good morning. So this meeting will now come to order. Today the subcommittee is holding a hearing entitled oversight of doe, during covid19 pandemic. Members will be participating in todays hearing finally in person or remotely via video conferences. And just as a reminder weve had some technical difficulties in making sure that our remote video was operating up to standard. As part of this hearing, the microphones of members participating remotely will be set on mute for the purpose of eliminating inadvertent background noise. Members participating remotely will need to unmute their microphones each time you wish to speak. For members and witnesses participating in person, i encourage you to wear your mask whenever you are not speaking. Dr. Monahan, our physician, stressed in attending physician covid19 guidelines that use of face coverings is meant to protect other people in case someone was unknowingly infected and does not have symptoms. But wearing our mask when we are not speakin
I really excited to have the opportunity to have this conversation with you today because i dont have a terribly good memory to be honest so i am grateful you took the time to write down so many of the stories over the last year and a half. What inspired you to write this book . My editor called me right after the election and said we have a Record Number of women in congress with so many different districts. Dont you think that would be a great book . You have covered congress for so many years. And with the killer deadline so this will be all the people and to have that experience with the tea party what that was like so i thought they were bookends and it was an interesting contrast. So you tell a lot of stories so what stands out as the most remarkable story that you would want to share . A couple of things. And to watch all of you interact. And to find the National Group of security women. So close and tight knit. The what was interesting to me. And with that legislative memory an
Of getting anything done. Going to do things, youre not a real democrat. I watch these moderates not only did they want to hold my feet but thats the only way youre going to keep that house and that tension never seem to fully become result. From what i could see did that of course the backbone of a lot of those races is what that is. Chrissy in my particular district, that vast majority is in the county and Chester County has been read for more than 160 years. In my community is 40 percent democrat and 40 percent replica republican and 20 percent independent and we are a very simple place. I think im one of those people that youre mentioning in terms of the race that i was able to be is the House Speaker and really flip. Really being one of those pragmatic places. Something that i hope that women bring to the table and veterans as well. As a understanding that you are all part of the same team. And honestly, across the aisle, we are all part of the team. Were all part of the solution.
Dont you think it would be a great book . Youve covered congress over the years. You have six months. How is the deadline. I thought great, that will be great. This would be all the people and i had the experience of covering the republicans and the Tea Party Wave and what that was like to have a whole new part in time and i thought that was the end. From your book, he tells a lot of stories many of them personal to me. What once stand out to you as being the most remarkable stories, if you had coffee with someone, that you would want to share with them . A couple of things. I loved sitting and watching all of your interact. I did find National Security women, as they were referred to, so close to and tightknit and watching this bonding. The men as well but was interesting to me, this memory that sticks out for all kinds of reasons, the vote on the bill for a lot of reasons, she had run on the issue having had such a painful and horrific expense of losing her child to gun violence, so
Tack to time to write down the stories i have lived in the last year and a half. What inspired you to write this book. Guest my editor of the bork called me right after the election and said, my gosh, we have this Record Number of women in congress, and such an interesting mix of women in congress so many firsts for so many different districts and for congress, period. Dont you think that would be great book . You have covered congress over the years. Id love you to do it. You have six months or something. So killer deadline. I thought that would be great. All new people, and i had had the experience of covering when we republicans took over and the Tea Party Wave and what that was like to we have a whole new breed in town. I thought theyre book ends. Host thats an interesting contrast. From your book you tell a lot of stories, many of them personal to me. What ones stand out as the most remarkable stories that you if you had coffee with somebody you would want to share with them about