PoliticsAside: Recent Episodes
Congressman Jon Porter
PoliticsAside is a virtual speaker series hosted by former Congressman Jon Porter that delivers insightful briefings from experts and insiders on topics that are in the forefront or just plain interesting.
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On the morning of the first 2024 Presidential debate, Congressman Porter was joined on PoliticsAside by Frank Fahrenkopf, co-founder and current co-Chairman of the Commission on Presidential Debates. They discussed fascinating parallels to the iconic Kennedy-Nixon debates, highlighting the transformative role of technology in elections. The conversation also covered potential implications of the changes in the debate format as well and the absence of the traditional town hall format. Tune in for a thought-provoking conversation on the future of presidential debates.
At the height of what many in DC affectionately term "Appropriations Season" Congressman Porter sat down with Porter Group's own Chris Porter and Ben Rosenbaum to discuss the complex federal funding process, including the rebirth of 'earmarks' as Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) or Community Project Funding (CPF) requests in recent years.
Join our expert panel for a discussion that serves as a guide for communities and organizations aiming to navigate the federal funding maze.
To kick off 2024, Congressman Porter and Nathan Fiala spent some time with Tanya Skeen, former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Acquisitions and a Navy veteran. Skeen masterfully unpacks the very real consequences funding stopgaps and Continuing Resolutions have on military readiness and shares with us her knowledge of the ties binding government fundings to the front lines of global conflict.
Congressman Porter and Nathan Fiala had the unique opportunity to spend time with National Security and Emerging Critical Technology ConsultantMike MacKay. Along with 20-plus years as a marine, his service includes time at the Department of Defense and advising Defense Appropriations Chair Congressman Calvert and Senator Joni Ernst.
In this enlightening episode of PoliticsAside, we explore the importance of defense spending, the dangers of operating under a Continuing Resolution (CR) to our national security and the future of venture capital investment in defense technology.
Congressman Porter had the opportunity to sit down with Nevada's Secretary of State, Cisco Aguilar as SOS Aguilar shared his insights on the future of elections, the potential future impact of artificial intelligence in our elections, and the excitement in Nevada over FormulaOne and the 2024 Superbowl.
In honor of Veterans Day and the 248th Birthday of the Marine Corps, Congressman Porter sat down with Master Sergeant (ret.) John Rose to discuss his years of service in the Marines, his life-altering experience surviving an IED blast in Afghanistan, and his transition to advocacy on behalf of veterans and individuals with disabilities.
In honor of Veterans Day, Congressman Porter sat down with Brigadier General (ret.) Robert P. Daniels to discuss the history and significance of the day. With his years in the National Guard, experience in academia and decades in the nonprofit sector supporting employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities, General Daniels brings an inspiring perspective on the importance of public service.
“You're literally taking your quarterback out of the game in the third quarter without anyone to replace him.” For the first time in American history, the US House of Representatives voted to unseat its Speaker as Kevin McCarthy was removed this week by a vote of all Democrats and 8 members of his own party. This followed on the heels of his decision to rely on Democratic votes to keep the government open.
Does this send a message that the days of compromise are over? Are the guardrails irreparably broken down? What happens next?
"Whatever your politics (and putting “politics aside”), having known Speaker McCarthy for 25 years, he is a good person who works tirelessly and cares deeply about the future of the country. He deserves our respect and gratitude." - Congressman Porter
In the latest PoliticsAside, Congressman Porter sits down with Rokk Solutions Co-Founder and renown political strategist Ron Bonjean to discuss how the events of the past 15 years got us to this point and how things might look moving forward.
As we head toward a federal government shutdown, Congressman Porter is joined on PoliticsAside by two experts to discuss the implications of government shutdowns on national defense.
Join Congressman Porter, Chris O'Donnell, former senior executive at the Department of Defense, and Porter Group's Nate Fiala, as they dissect the real impact of the 14 shutdowns that have occured since 1981. Learn from insiders about the challenges faced by government employees, defense contracts, and the Pentagon's struggle to counter potential threats from overseas.
Earlier this month Congressman Porter had the opportunity to sit down with Ted McKinney, the former Under Secretary at the US Department of Agriculture for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs, and now the CEO of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture. They discussed the complexities of the Farm Bill and its direct impact on families, businesses, and communities across the US. From funding various food services to agricultural projects and nutrition programs - the Farm Bill plays a pivotal role in ensuring food safety and availability to all Americans.
In the latest episode of PoliticsAside, Congressman Porter is joined by special guest Brian Burns - a bluegrass musician, festival promoter, Porter Group's creative lead and a seasoned 'burner'.
Brian guides us through the experience of taking part in the annual Burning Man Festival, which began in 1986 as a small artist's project and today is a cultural phenomenon hosting 80,000 attendees annually.
Congressman Porter was joined by Roseman University's Dr. Renee Coffman and Dr. Tom Metzger to discuss the GENESIS Program. GENESIS is an answer to the challenge of how to effectively merge health services and social services in a way that will truly improve the health of high-risk populations. GENESIS provides high-risk patients with tailored high-tech and high-touch medical and social services aimed at helping them conveniently address barriers to optimal patient and household health outcomes.
Congressman Porter sat down with Brian Patchett of the Louisiana Association for the Blind to discuss the work being done by the 500+ nonprofits in the AbilityOne network that provide employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities.
As Congress considers including a 1% DoD Contracting Goal for the AbilityOne Program in the FY2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), Congressman Porter sat down with Carmelo "Tito" Crespo of Chimes, one of the 500+ nonprofits in the AbilityOne network that provide employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities.
Congressman Porter was joined by Porter Group's Stephanie Walker and Benjamin Rosenbaum for an in-depth discussion on what goes into the rules and procedures of Congress.
On the most recent episode of PoliticsAside, Congressman Porter was joined by Hugh Anderson, Managing Director of Hightower Las Vegas. Mr. Anderson, who has more than 42 years of experience in the financial services industry, answered many of the questions that have been top of mind since the news regarding Silicon Valley Bank first broke.
Happy Appropriations Season! In this special edition episode of PoliticsAside, Congressman Porter is joined by our bipartisan team of experts to cover what you need to know regarding the federal appropriations process.
Congressman Porter recently had the chance to sit down with Brigadier General (Ret.) Robert Novotny to discuss a number of items, including the Chinese balloon controversy and military modernization.
As we head into the Thanksgiving holidays Congressman Porter had an opportunity to sit down with Dr. Roger Cryan, Chief Economist of the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF). The primary topic of conversation was AFBF's annual Thanksgiving Dinner Survey, which looks at the cost of the average Thanksgiving meal from year to year. Other discussion topics included some of the history behind our Thanksgiving meal selections, rising food costs, the 2023 Farm Bill and the work that AFBF does to support American farmers.
Curious what the recent election results mean for remainder of 2022 and the beginning of 2023? Our bipartisan team enjoyed sharing their insights with you in this special edition of PoliticsAside.
Congressman Porter had an opportunity to discuss hurricane relief efforts, in particular those related to Hurricane Ian with Jessi Nalepa of Hagerty Consulting, a leading emergency management consulting firm. Ms. Nalepa, who was with FEMA and Congressman Michael McCaul (TX-10) prior to taking on her current role, covered a number of topics, including the challenges of providing support for individuals with disabilities in the aftermath of a hurricane.
Congressman Porter was also joined by Pastor Steve Walker of the University Boulevard Nazarene Church and Porter Group's own Stephanie Walker. Pastor Walker discussed the work that faith groups do on the ground to support recovery efforts.
Congressman Porter had an opportunity to sit down with Congresswoman Jane Harman to discuss memories about their shared time in office, expectations for the future of Congress and her book Insanity Defense: Why Our Failure to Confront Hard National Security Problems Makes Us Less Safe.
Congressman Porter recently had an opportunity to sit down with Congressman Duncan L. Hunter, who represented a district in southern California from 1981-2009. He served as Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee from 2003-2007 and was a contender for the Republican nomination for President in 2008.
Their riveting discussion centered around their shared Congressional experiences, bi-partisanship and the current situation in Ukraine.
Congressman Porter is joined by Tim Duffy and Ardie Dean of the Music Maker Relief Foundation, an organization Eric Clapton once called "…a fabulous project; real evidence that the music I have always loved is alive and well". Our guests discussed the culture surrounding blues music and the work the Foundation does to support the soul of American roots music through partnerships with impoverished, traditional artists across the country.
Disclaimer: The viewpoints and opinions expressed by our various guests in the PoliticsAside program are those of their own and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Congressman Porter or Porter Group.
“If I want a crown I must go and hunt it for myself.”
- Rudyard Kipling, The Man Who Would Be King
Congressman Porter was joined on PoliticsAside by David Drucker, a senior political correspondent for the Washington Examiner with an extensive background in congressional, political and campaign reporting. His new book, In Trump’s Shadow, has been touted as a “Game of Thrones-like telling of what comes next for the factions and families within the Republican Party as they plot for supremacy in the post-Trump era.”
This episode of Politics Aside contains a fascinating discussion of Mr. Drucker’s research, insights and predictions surrounding the rush to determine the imminent fate of the GOP.
Disclaimer: The viewpoints and opinions expressed by our various guests in the PoliticsAside program are those of their own and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Congressman Porter or Porter Group.
Congressman Porter was joined on PoliticsAside by Keith Whyte, Executive Director of the National Council on Problem Gambling. You will learn about fascinating developments in this new era including insights into issues arising from the interrelationship between gambling and social media.
Disclaimer: The viewpoints and opinions expressed by our various guests in the PoliticsAside program are those of their own and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Congressman Porter or Porter Group.
Congressman Porter was joined on PoliticsAside by two of the foremost experts in the political and election polling world - Republican pollster Glen Bolger of Public Opinion Strategies and Democrat pollster Zac McCrary of Impact Research. In recent years, election day surprises have led many of us to question the legitimacy of political polling: “Why did some polls miss the mark?” “Are interviewees reluctant to express their real opinions?” “How has social media changed the polling industry?” “Is polling a science or art?”
Disclaimer: The viewpoints and opinions expressed by our various guests in the PoliticsAside program are those of their own and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Congressman Porter or Porter Group.
On the first episode of PoliticsAside, we featured Patrick Costello, CEO of the American Security Project as our first guest. Congressman Porter and Mr. Costello discussed the question on all of our minds: Are We On the Brink of War in Ukraine?
Costello is a recognized expert on U.S. foreign policy, trade policy, business diplomacy and the domestic politics of American foreign policy. Costello also regularly consults with the policymaking community and stakeholders on a wide range of foreign policy and economic issues. He is frequently sought out by individuals, institutions and companies to advise them on how to maximize their influence and impact in Washington, and writes a monthly column for the international business community in Italy.
Disclaimer: The viewpoints and opinions expressed by our various guests in the PoliticsAside program are those of their own and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Congressman Porter or Porter Group.