If you voter or oppose it to, call the numbers on your screen. And you could also make a comment on our social media site. You can make a comment on orebook, facebook. Com cspan you can send us an email at ournal at. Org. Sir, what are is it going to take to get to the name of this team changed . Even the pennant office was determining whether a Patent Office was determining had said this term is a drog their slang and is disparaging to nativeamericans. And so we believable commissioner goodell should act to make sure one of their owners puts an end to the wrong use of a football term and to join the right side of history. Were not going to give up this bearblingts similarly like organization who is have a website on change the mascot according to, which is a great two to threeminute video of why nativeamericans care so much about this issue. We need to continue to respect and dignity of these individuals. And its time to update the elationship. Host and you can weigh in on this controversy with the numbers on your screen. Heres a little bit of the letter that the senators the 50 democratic and independent senators sent to roger goodell. It was not circulated among the republicans. The despicable comments made by Donald Sterling have opened up a National Conversation about race relations. We believe this conversation is an opportunity for the nfl to take actions to remove the racial slur from the name of one of its marquee franchises. Now is the time for the nfl to act. The washington, d. C. Football team is on the wrong side of history. What message does it send . To punish slurs against africanamericans while endorsing slurs against nativeamericans. And, see here, some of the gnatories, mears maria cantwell, signed on. All the democrats signed it except for five, the two virginia matter . S where the redskins are kind of a home team, the two maryland senators, the two democratic maryland senators both signed it, joe donnelly, joe mansion and mark prior of arkansas did not sign the letter as well. Bill is calling in from cleveland. Bill, what do you think about congressional involvement in this issue . Host yes, i personally believe that there are just so many other person issues in this country. Im not for the name of the redskins but i really think that our economy, quite frankly, is number one and rarely really, the congress should be focused more on that more so than the name of the football team. Thats really it. You know, im not really for the name myself but i think that there are more pressing issues. Host bill, youre calling from cleveland and youve clot the Cleveland IndiansBaseball Team. Should that name be changed . Host yeah, im opened it to if the time comes for them to change it. Ok, i have no problem with that. Host harry reid sent out a tweet. Here it is. My colleagues and i wrote a letter to the nfl urging it to change the derogatory name of washingtons football team. You can see his tweet right there on the air. Calling in is mark from north myrtle beach, South Carolina. Mark what, do you think about Congress Getting involved in this issue . Host this is definitely important, the derogatory names should definitely be changed. In other words, there was a called over in iraq Saddam Hussein and i believe he should change his name. This is very important. We need the congress to get in on this. This is important. Mark is being a little bit of sarcastic there. The nfl has long dem straited a commitment on leadership on issues of diversity and inclusion both on and off the field. The intent of the teams name has been to present a respectful image. The team name is not used by the team or the nfl in any other context that will respect those that view it differently. Paul in appleton, wisconsin. What are your thoughts, paul . Caller i think Congress Getting involved is totally ridiculous. Totally ridiculous. I mean, who knows i mean, as long as i am like 50 years old nd i never knew what the Washington Redskins would men. Im a Green Bay Packers supporter. So are we going to have peter coming after the packers because they pack meat . I mean, theyre packers. So youre going to have peter coming after Green Bay Packers for packing meat . I mean, its totally ridiculous. Host tony, right here in washington, d. C. Tony what, do you think . Caller this is just i dont know how to describe it. One thing thats not our president has said that. He said he would vow every step of the way that the redskins name would never change. You know, some people spend some money right now. Theyre giving money to the congress about the contribution. Thats the reason why they igned this up. Instead of worrying about jobs and this economy, theyre hinking it dont matter. This is nonsense. We will fight this every step of the way. Thats not upsetting. We will not change our redskin for no reason. Im a true fan. These people running around for money. They want money. Its all money. And you say never do that. Host tony in washington, d. C. , the report tweets in. Of course, congress should get involved in redskins name controversy because they dont seem to have anything more important to do. And monty says stop engaging the nation in trivial issues. I dont know if hes talking to the congress or to the Washington Redskins this morning washington journal this morning. And bill said why not the redskins . And in other issues, New York Times, pines on the surveillance bill that the house passed yesterday. A bill that falls short is the headline of their editorial. Unfortunately, the bill passed by the house on thursday falls short of these promises and does not live to its title. Lastminute pressure from the bama administration thats from the New York Times. Here is a call from brownsville, california. Hi, kathy. Caller hi. Im kind of really emotional about this whole thing. Derogatory term should be moved and if congress has to do it, they may have to do it. You went off topic a little bit. So i am, too. I hate that theyre now calling mark cuban into this Donald Sterling controversy just because hes a guy that said what he thinks wasnt racist. And i really dont think well, im not sure what i think. I dont think the team names are racist. Maybe they are. Maybe i just dont get it. But, yeah, i think that now being mark cuban being drawn into this whole controversy because he had the guts to say. I dont think its right to record people. I am so angry. Im just so angry. Im very emotional. So, sorry if i went off topic but thank you for taking my call. Host walt for the baltimore. Hi, walter. Caller hello, america. Cspan, i hope you wont be as foolish as congress has been, spending too much time on this subject. Thats dan snyder will change that name as hes paid to change it. You know what im saying . As soon as hes paid by under armor or adidas or i think nike has the contract with the nfl host well, tell you what, robert caller that name host were talking about the fact that 50 senators sent a letter to the nfl encouraging that organization to endorse a name change. What do you think about congressional involvement in this issue . Caller was only forced to integrate because of the years at the r. F. K. Stadium now, the history of that team is racial but i respectfully beg america to understand as a redskin fan, i have jerseys and hats and i really do enjoy the squad but i am not foolish to think that the nativeamericans have they lost the whole country. Why worry about the foolish name . However, when i asked host were going to leave it there and move on to marianne in pittsburgh. What are your thoughts about congressional involvement in this issue . Caller link they should stay out of it. Host why . Caller weve got too many important issues at stake, i think. We still havent got on the ben gasy conclusion yet where the president was. Everybody should just mind their own business. Theyre the ones making the money for the players, the fans. Host lucy had a tweet no place for congress. They were not is the nfl a Nonprofit Organization . And if the answer is yes, why . Host james in new york. Congressional involvement. Redskins name. Caller absolutely. If thats what it takes, i mean, its about time this country got tself right. As many years as we did in the beginning of this country, but yet we continue to kick them in the shins every time you use the name redskins. What if they were called the washington crackers . Or the washington nword . Or, you know . I mean, what does it take before we get right with each other in this country . Racism divides this nation. Its the wedge that keeps us from being the great country we should be. And until we get over this, we will continue to have problems down the road. Host that was james in new york. This is in the New York Times. He was elected president of the boy scouts, formerly taking leadership of an organization that continues to be loyal on the policy of gay scouts and leaders. Don in pompano beach, florida, what do you think . Caller i love what the last caller said and its true. If the name would have been a different other name i dont care if the president is black or white. People talking about some bull crap that oh, youre not allowed. I mean, you should be doing important things. This is important to other people. You are using the color of a persons skin to identify a team. I remember in early 2000 when there was an angry white Man Organization going around. When its something that pertains to you or to somebody else, it becomes an issue. But when it comes to somebody else, you dont think about it. Oh, this shouldnt be where were about. Like one woman going to bring up benghazi . Why dont yall do the true reporting . Hy done you give importance . So when youre cutting into anything with that. Were back to the subject, you were using the name pertaining to white americans, black americans, we would have a problem. Host that was don in pompano beach. The lead story in the washington journal, military pushes for drone disclosure. To publicly defend american drone strikes against criticism in the u. S. And abroad. Defense official said the issue has cometoa head after the military concluded that longstanding u. S. Secrecy surrounding Drone Operations has bolstered support in al qaeda and yemen. And in the Washington Times, i. R. S. Vows to rewrite rules for nonprofit. The i. R. S. Said thursday well go back and rewrite the proposed rule governing nonprofit groups and political activity bowing to overwhelming opposition from Tea Party Groups and free speech advocates on both ends of the ideological spectrum who fear the tax agency would hurt the debate next call comes from rick in florida. What do you think about congress, the senator sending a letter out saying change the name . Caller theyre going to represent d. C. They ought to change their name to the washington fore skins. Host well move on to thomas in millersville, maryland. Thomas, good morning. Youre on the Washington Redskins. Caller good morning. Yeah, i think the name should be changed. Any of these slurs. Even cspan has been guilty with allowing a slur. Three weeks ago, you heard a black caller recall karl rove as a white boy. And the host said nothing and then a few days later, a white man came on and started talking about black crime in the cities and he was cut off and the host apologized for his comments. The americanindians started slavery from this country. Perhaps we should change the name from the redskins to the slave owners. Host rick, good morning. Caller i dont think congress ought to be involved in this. I mean, i think theyre interfering with the private enterprise. If it was a post office or a Federal Building with the name they could change the name because they have the authority to do that. But where do you i mean, you have like the black entertainment channel. You have all types of things. You have redman tobacco. Theres a large trucking company, whitehead trucking. How can congress there are so many pressing issues that they should be dealing with. I think theyre getting ready to go on their 60day vacation. So they ought to pretty much wrap up some other things. Thank you very much. Host heres from the hill newspaper. Vegas from cincinnati out as the committee whittles its 26team Convention City left. Still left in cleveland, kansas city, denver and dallas. So thats where those one of those four cities will hold the Republican Convention in 2016. U. S. A. Today. There are one editorial this morning. The least Productive Congress ever. Having enacted 104 laws since early 2013, the 113th congress is on track to break the previous record low of 283 set 112th , 2012, by the congress and with last falls pointless government shutdown, the Congress Reached the level of dysfunction that the 112 never obtained heres how u. S. A. Today concludes their editorial about the only recent sign of progress on capitol hill is Bipartisan Legislation to curb the agencys bulk collection of americans phone records but even the measure that cleared the house on thursday was water down and faces an uncertain future in the senate. The 113th congress is a vivid example of how a nation with an Innovative Private spector is being held back by a legislative branch that cant teen resolve small things such as road funding and climate changing and the national debt. Calling in from covington, georgia, is sweetie. Sweetie, good morning. Caller good morning. Thank you so much for taking my call. Host what a great name. Caller thank you. I just want to say that congress is at an alltime low. I hope that harry reid, who i believe is the majority leader, really gets his act together. I dont know whats going on in congress. But these issues are the name change is something that is already incorporated in the world today. There are avenues to get that name changed without the congress using this as another ploy so they are not doing their job. It is really getting embarrassing. I worked for 30 years. Thank god my family and i have a little bit to live on. But im telling you, this congress is missing the big vision of what is going on in the world today. I watch cspan. Im glad you have it here. But the people in our country that are beginning to suffer and the other countries that are taking note of what we are doing, they better take heed because in other countries like china, they are now starting to rebel. This is ignorant. And the Congress Needs to take a break. Sit down. Get their acts together. Brainstorm. Put it down. And start passing laws that can help people. And stop all this arguing. So, thats all i wanted to say. Have a great day. Host sterling is calling in the agency of the mt. Montana area. Whats your view of congresss involvement in the redskins name change . Caller well, first of all, good morning, and thanks for cspan. And i do support congress in this issue. I am an americanindian. And i agree with congress involving. In the past history, the tribe different tribes have tried different avenues all the way up to this point. Several years ago, there was a large restaurant chain changed name called sam fwrks os and our Black Brothers had an outrage on that and they service such an uproar that they changed it. I dont want to name the name of the restaurant now and it is the nword for the americanindians. The redskins. Like the braves or the Kansas City Chiefs and these others, theyre not derogatory, but when you use the word redskin, thats a very derogatory name, especially among the plains tribes here in montana and oklahoma and other plains indians. So we do support and thank congress for their action in getting involved in human rights of our american indians. Host mark devoted the first hour of this program last night to this issue. Heres a little bit of what he had to say. So here we are again. The United States senate, which cannot pass a budget, the United States senate, which is bankrupting this nation, the United States senate, which will not takes it foot off the throat of the economy. Millions and millions of people are looking for jobs. The United States senate, which is useless, if you ask me. Well, 50 of them got together, all democrats, and they wrote a letter. Did you know they could write . And they vowed senate off to the league, demanding that the Washington Redskins change the team name and i dont know about you, folks, but when i hear about the Washington Redskins, im not even thinking of indians or nativeamericans. Its like a color or whatever. It has nothing to do with that in my mind and i assure you and the vast majority of everybodys minds who are listening today. Host a little bit from mark levins radio show on. And politico report said the ed consultation radio is coming to an end. He will end his Radio Program and move to an onlineonly format. He announced really, this change will give me more flexibility to be on the road to do the kind of shows i want to do for the ed show on msnbc. The switch will go into effect after memorial day and it will be one hour instead of three. Richard, whats your view on congressional involvement in the redskins name controversy . Lake placid, florida. Hi, richard. Caller yes. Good morning, peter. Congress ought to stay out of it. But the on positive thing i see here is if congress is involved and going around naming nfl football teams, maybe this will be down to the college and to the high school level, then theyre not screwing up the rest of the country. But everything they touch seems to turn sour. Our ec