41:00 And I have two clips, both of them are a little long but they're dynamite. The second one in particular is a jaw dropper. Now what does drain the swamp? Is it about draining it or not draining it? It's about draining and the guy he's an older guy, he is first time congressman from Colorado prosecuting attorneys He's got a lot of politics, but he's tried running couple times. He finally got in and then he was aghast at what he witnessed. Now the first part is where he's talking about how they co-opt you immediately once you get there. You gotta be part of the party. You've gotta do this, you've gotta do that and they whine and dine to show you good time which seems to me with what he's describing as what you would have experienced if you were
41:47 In the computer industry covering it in any way in the early heyday was it a swamp? No, it was it was a lot of good food but and limos But he has he didn't like that and then he goes on but then did he reveal something that I've never heard? Let's play the first part which is just the not this is not dues. This is the first one This is just a swamp book. Well, I mean going back Oh, hold on make sure got the right one Yes Going back to those parties before you even get elected, in what way was it conveyed to you that there was a game that needed to be played? Sure. When when you show up and the army choir is singing and there is beef tenderloin and salmon all sorts of waiters and as much alcohol I don't drink but as much alcohol as you want to consume
42:48 and you're in the Cannon Caucus Room, which is just a really beautiful room or in the old house chambers there's clear message that this how you now live. You are given gifts from time you arrive by leadership for others that are thanking you for sacrifice coming to DC I've never consumed as many calories as I did when i was in this orientation session. Anybody want to eat this meatloaf? So, the other thing is you're told pretty quickly that you never vote against the rule and there are some things you don't do as a part of your party. Both sides are wind and dine both sides get the same rules, the same instructions And the idea is that the most important thing you can do is get re-elected
43:44 And the most important thing to get re-elected is to make sure you play the game. In that case, so your defining playing the game is sort of being in line with your party not necessarily in those early sessions are you meeting with lobbyists and alike it's sort of an understanding that you're developing about who the leaders are and what they expect from you? I think that's right. And the fact that you have, as a member of Congress special access to various areas one of the parties was in The National Archives after hours it was opened up for this party George Will came and spoke to the group there is definitely a feeling of being special as a member of congress when your constantly
44:33 given special privileges. Do you think this is a book that I'd like to read, John? Does he go inside and show you all the douchebaggery that's going on? He bitches and moans a lot it seems but this part that you're gonna play next...I think its at core of the book and you don't need to read the book That's the way I see it One of things about Book TV on C-SPAN I've found Is that people are on long enough They're usually an hour, sometimes an hour and a half talking about their book. Sure they tell you the book I mean You don't have to read the book after you listen to them give this lecture And there may be some tidbits in the book that would be worthwhile But I think they're doing a dumb job then you should make it interesting that people buy Not everybody would think this way well Brill's harsh book readers The guys are into it They would go by the book anyway I because of the show and what we do
45:23 It just seems like a good excuse not to buy the book. It seems to me. There may be some tidbits in it, but this little gem here which I've never heard and never knew about and needs a little discussion is absolutely an eye-opening jaw dropper You also write that influence in Washington comes with the price tag And you spell out early in the book the steep dues that members must pay to the House Republican campaign committees To secure and retain their seats on influential committees I wonder if you can talk us through the dues that are required, how they climb depending on the importance of the committee and how you deal with it. And what your dues are? Sure so both Republican Party and Democrat Party have dues based on committee assignments and so if you're in a committee like appropriations ways and means energy commerce
46:17 uh... the dues for a republican this congress, 115th congress are four hundred fifty thousand dollars per person. On a B or C committee the dues are two hundred thousand dollars per person if you want to be a chair of an A committee you have to pay one point two million dollars in dues for that privilege so uh... the way you were in those do is where you raise that money as you have of answer washington dc at receptions and uh... the lobbyists are represented special interest under those receptions and donate money to get them if you don't vote with the lobbyist's lobbyists don't show up to two of those reception so it's a way to coerce uh... members by by having uh...
47:07 outrageous twos of $850,000 or 1.2 million it's a way to coerce members to vote as lobbyists and special interests want you to vote so you are on an A committee I am on an A committee rules committee yes And do pay your dues? I pay my dues So how do you pay those dues when you describe the system in which you feel as though lobbyist are asking you to vote in a certain way How do you...I mean what do YOU do I am fortunate in Colorado. We have two events in the fall of each year during the election cycle we have private individuals come together for those events and Support the four Republican members of the House of Representatives at those events And so, um...I don't hold receptions for the purpose of paying my dues to the NRCC and
48:04 along with the other three members from Colorado, we have our dues paid by holding those two events. All right first of all bend over. Clip of the show! Clip of the show man holy mo- I did not know this at all and where does this money go? Who's to who you pay it goes right to the party so you have to take money from your constituents which you don't really get from them you get them from lobbyists because you throw parties And which is, you know, a thousand bucks a plate I'm sure. And then you take that money and then you become the ranking member on the committee and then you do what the lobbyists paid you to do
48:45 Yeah. Oh my goodness, I have not heard of this! This is- I never heard of this either. This is a scandal as far as I'm concerned So you have the head of the committees and the guys who are at the top, their chair And then you have to rank it The ranking guy has to obviously pay A bunch of money and then the chair has to pay a bunch of money That's probably pretty close to the same amount I'm guessing because if the parties switch You know over too because of the majority then the ranking guy becomes the chair. But that's the $1.2 million job, and you can kind of figure out the committees where it's that high. The rest are more like 800,000. So here's what gets me is this guy talks about well I'm lucky because we have this special thing in Colorado where people come out and then they... I doubt many people that donate
49:40 to their congressman. Have any idea that this is going on? Have any idea that the congressman's not even using that money, it's passed through! You give him $1,000 and he says thank you for your support and then he gives it to the Republican Party as part of his dues payment which may be anywhere from $200,000-$1.2 million that he has to pay the party so he can actually do his job Are you kidding me? That's amazing. Well, it shows you what plan B is run for office. Well this sounds to me as though most of the time is spent just moving money around but why should I be collecting a 1.2 million dollars as a senior member... To be on a committee! ...to be on a committee well you have to be on committees But hold on a second if but committees are they only per party I thought y'all said committees that were bipartisan
50:38 No, all committees are...no. He's talking about everyone on the committee they're all bipartisan and they're committees! They got you know X number of Republicans and X number of Democrats usually reflected by the local majority. Okay so a Republican his dues go to where? To the Republican National Committee So they say yes you can be on the committee that's how it works You can be the boss of that committee Well they put him on the committee and say here is what you owe us. Pffft. Phew. No wonder nothing gets done there I'd like to know some history of this. Does it go back a hundred years? Does it go back 50 years when did this begin,
51:19 When did the payoffs begin where you have to pay off your own party? And what do they do with the money. I mean, what does the party do? You're supposed to get reelected and that means you've gotta collect money for them again. It's like being in The Mob! Where you gotta get a little piece of action goes to the boss and then he has to pass some up to the capo... This is a mob setup it's ridiculous hey you're not doing well where's the cash?! I mean its unbelievable to me. Hey man where's my Vig? Especially at these rates. This is not cheap, these guys you know a congressman comes in from some little town in Iowa and then he now he's got to be paying his way To be on a committee to help his own constituency? This is ridiculous! Yeah I didn't... this is a great fun- It's always interesting how someone in the war room will go THIS IS NOT NEW! THIS IS NOT NEW!
