Congress Used to Work. What Happened?

Congress Used to Work. What Happened?

The Washington Roundtable is joined by Carl Hulse, the New York Times’ chief Washington correspondent, to discuss Congress’s dwindling role in the American political system. Why are Congress members passing fewer bills than their predecessors? Why can the institution no longer complete basic tasks of governing, such as passing a budget on time? Are representatives more interested in being social-media stars than crafting legislation? The panel analyzes why Congress has increasingly surrendered its power to the President, in areas as diverse as tariffs and the war in Iran. “Once you give up power, you never get it back in Washington,” Hulse says. This week’s reading: * “The White House Press Corps in the Second Trump Era [https://www.newyorker.com/culture/photo-booth/the-white-house-press-corps-in-the-second-trump-era],” by Katy Waldman * “The Complications of Graham Platner’s Veteran Identity [https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-political-scene/the-complications-of-graham-platners-veteran-identity],” by Jasper Craven * “Maine’s Mad Scramble to Replace Graham Platner [https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/maines-mad-scramble-to-replace-graham-platner],” by Jason Zengerle * “Trump’s War on Journalists [https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2026/07/27/trumps-war-on-journalists],” by Ruth Marcus The Political Scene draws on the reporting and analysis found in The New Yorker for lively conversations about the big questions in American politics. Join the magazine’s writers and editors as they put into context the latest news—about elections, the economy, the White House, the Supreme Court, and much more. New episodes are available three times a week.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

What Biden Officials Wish They Had Done Differently in Gaza

The New Yorker staff writer David D. Kirkpatrick joins Tyler Foggatt to discuss the Biden Administration’s failure to restrain Israel during its military campaign in Gaza. They talk about what Kirkpatrick has learned from former senior members of Biden’s national-security team—some of whom spoke on the record about key decisions during the conflict for the first time—and how previously undisclosed documents and revelations point to the Administration’s failure to rein in the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and to reduce Palestinian civilian casualties. They also explore why the former officials are now speaking candidly about their missteps, and whether the Administration’s approach to Israel helped shape the conditions that led to the current war with Iran. This week’s reading: * “How Biden Enabled Israel’s Aggression Toward Gaza—and Iran [https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2026/07/27/how-biden-emboldened-israels-aggression-toward-gaza-and-iran],” by David D. Kirkpatrick * “María Corina Machado’s Opposition in Exile [https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2026/07/27/maria-corina-machados-opposition-in-exile],” by Stephania Taladrid * “Donald Trump’s Election-Fraud Bait and Switch [https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/trumps-election-fraud-bait-and-switch],” by Ruth Marcus * “Can Andy Burnham’s Manchesterism Save the U.K.’s Center Left? [https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-financial-page/can-andy-burnhams-manchesterism-save-the-uks-center-left],” by John Cassidy * “Donald Trump’s Ad-Lib Strategy on Iran [https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/donald-trumps-ad-lib-strategy-on-iran],” by Robin Wright  The Political Scene draws on the reporting and analysis found in The New Yorker for lively conversations about the big questions in American politics. Join the magazine’s writers and editors as they put into context the latest news—about elections, the economy, the White House, the Supreme Court, and much more. New episodes are available three times a week.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

Rahm Emanuel Says Israel’s Path Is “Not Sustainable Politically”

Rahm Emanuel is a Democratic Party elder, having served in the Clinton and Obama Administrations and as mayor of his native Chicago for two terms. He’s a centrist known for valuing political wins over ideology, making it especially notable that Emanuel recently gave a blistering speech in Israel, calling the country’s path “not sustainable politically.” He says that the United States should no longer grant Israel unconditional military support, and explains his own plan for a diplomatic Middle East solution that he calls a “twenty-three-state solution.” Emanuel, who hasn’t formally announced but appears to have embarked on a campaign for the 2028 Presidency, defends his position on trans rights, which has angered many on the left, and his contention that the Democratic Party is overly concerned with identity politics.  Further reading:  * “Trump and Rahm Emanuel Both Love a Fight, Especially Against Each Other [https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/why-declaring-chicago-a-trump-free-zone-isnt-enough],” by Susan B. Glasser. * “Rahm Emanuel’s Lessons for Hilary Clinton [https://www.newyorker.com/news/benjamin-wallace-wells/rahm-emanuels-lessons-for-hillary-clinton],” by Benjamin Wallace-Wells * “The Sudden but Well-Deserved Fall of Rahm Emanuel [https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/the-sudden-but-well-deserved-fall-of-rahm-emanuel?_sp=3d012d91-4ca6-4c08-8c59-a560a4b16c01.1784046879624],” by Rick Perlstein * “Emanuel in Full [https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2008/11/17/emanuel-in-full],” by Lizzie Widdicombe The Political Scene draws on the reporting and analysis found in The New Yorker for lively conversations about the big questions in American politics. Join the magazine’s writers and editors as they put into context the latest news—about elections, the economy, the White House, the Supreme Court, and much more. New episodes are available three times a week.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

Donald Trump Can’t Quit the 2020 Election

The Washington Roundtable discusses Donald Trump’s latest attempt to relitigate the 2020 election. In a prime-time speech on Thursday, he argued that newly declassified documents suggest that U.S. election systems are vulnerable. “He described interference in the election in alarming terms,” the staff writer Jane Mayer says. “But there was absolutely no final bottom line where he was able to prove that a single vote was stolen.” The panel explores how false claims about past elections could serve as a pretext for federal intervention in the midterms, especially if issues like the war with Iran continue to depress the President’s approval rating and hurt Republicans’ chances. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

Can California Actually Make Billionaires Pay?

Dave Regan, the president of the prominent California union S.E.I.U.-United Healthcare Workers West, joins Tyler Foggatt to discuss Proposition 40, a ballot measure that would impose a one-time, five-per-cent tax on the net worth of the state’s billionaires. They talk about the origins of the initiative—which came in response to cuts to health care from Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act—and how the political fight over the proposition fits into the broader wave of populist politics and a growing appetite for challenging the wealthy. They also explore the opposition from a handful of wealthy Silicon Valley figures, who have spent more than a hundred million dollars to defeat the measure. California’s governor, Gavin Newsom, and some health-care organizations have expressed concerns that the tax could drive the ultra-wealthy out of the state and would fail to provide a long-term funding solution for public services. Whether the ballot measure fails or passes, does the fight over Proposition 40 signal a broader shift toward more ambitious efforts to tax the wealthy? This week’s reading: * “How Ukraine Brought the War to Russia [https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/how-ukraine-brought-the-war-to-russia],” by Joshua Yaffa * “Inside ICE’s Largest Detention Center, [https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2026/07/20/locked-away]” by Jonathan Blitzer * “Democratic Schadenfreude and the Latino Vote [https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/democratic-schadenfreude-and-the-latino-vote],” by Jack Herrera * “The Remaking of Lindsey Graham [https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/the-remaking-of-lindsey-graham],” by Ruth Marcus * “An O.M.B. Plan to Defund Science—and Anything Trump Doesn’t Like [https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2026/07/20/an-omb-plan-to-defund-science-and-anything-trump-doesnt-like],” by Elizabeth Kolbert The Political Scene draws on the reporting and analysis found in The New Yorker for lively conversations about the big questions in American politics. Join the magazine’s writers and editors as they put into context the latest news—about elections, the economy, the White House, the Supreme Court, and much more. New episodes are available three times a week.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]