Congressional Spending Battles and Colorado’s CD3 Race

On January 16, 2024, Wade Miller, Ron Hanks, and Jon Boesen joined the show. Miller exposes how Speaker Johnson’s deal with Chuck Schumer surrenders conservative leverage on a year-long continuing resolution that would have automatically cut non-defense spending by 9 percent Hanks announces his candidacy for Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District, outlining priorities on border security, energy independence, and manufacturing after Lauren Boebert’s move to.

The Schumer-Johnson Spending Deal Surrenders Conservative Leverage

Start listening at 38:22 – Hour 1

Wade Miller sounds the alarm on what he calls a squandered opportunity for fiscal conservatives. The Center for Renewing America executive director explains that under the Fiscal Responsibility Act passed last summer, a simple year-long continuing resolution would automatically trigger a 9 percent cut to non-defense discretionary spending, hitting what Miller describes as “woke and weaponized federal agencies.”

Instead of capitalizing on this built-in leverage, Miller argues, Speaker Johnson negotiated a deal with Senator Schumer that adds $100 billion more in spending than the CR baseline would have required. Miller contends this approach abandons all leverage for forcing a fight on border security through H.R. 2 and eliminates the automatic cuts that would have benefited conservative priorities.

Miller draws a direct comparison between Johnson and previous Republican speakers, calling him “John Boehner 4.0” and warning that perpetual capitulation will cost the country far more than any short-term political risk from standing firm.

“It’s a win that is sitting on a platter for us right now. And all we need to do is accept the win. We just need to take it and go after it.”

Wade Miller, Executive Director, Center for Renewing America

CD3 Race Opens After Boebert’s District Switch

Start listening at 16:38 – Hour 1

Ron Hanks announces his entry into Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District race, a move prompted by calls from political strategists after Lauren Boebert announced she would run in CD4 instead. The former state representative, who won CD3 during his 2022 Senate primary, acknowledges he had stepped back from politics to focus on family but felt compelled to answer the call.

Hanks outlines three priorities for his campaign: securing the border, restoring American energy dominance through domestic production, and reshoring manufacturing. Drawing on his experience in the North Dakota oil fields, he argues that cheaper energy translates directly to lower inflation and improved quality of life for working Americans.

The candidate expresses concern about transformers and other critical infrastructure components being manufactured in China, citing a briefing about a suspicious component discovered in a transformer in northwest Colorado that the Department of Energy investigated for potential sabotage capabilities.

“This is not the most important election. This is probably the last election if we don’t get this right.”

Ron Hanks, Congressional Candidate, CD3

Winter Weather Preparedness and Legal Protection

Start listening at 63:32 – Hour 2

Jon Boesen of Boesen Law offers a public service message as dangerous cold grips Colorado. The personal injury attorney describes witnessing multiple stranded vehicles during a trip to Glenwood Springs, including Teslas that could not charge in the extreme temperatures and drivers standing outside their cars in flip-flops following accidents.

Boesen emphasizes practical preparation for winter travel: keeping extra gloves, boots, warm clothes, water, and food in vehicles. He stresses the importance of filling gas tanks before heading into the mountains and checking CDOT’s 511 service for road closures. When accidents do occur, Boesen urges immediate contact with an attorney to preserve evidence and ensure proper legal guidance.

“Time is always of the essence. The sooner I talk with someone, the sooner we can get them on the right path.”

Jon Boesen, Personal Injury Attorney, Boesen Law

Economics in One Lesson: The Broken Window Fallacy

Start listening at 71:17 – Hour 2

Kim Monson continues her ongoing series exploring Henry Hazlitt’s classic text with Producer Joe and Producer Luke, both 25 years old. The discussion centers on the broken window fallacy, which demonstrates how destruction does not create net economic benefit despite the visible jobs it generates for repair work.

The producers push back on certain aspects of the theory, arguing that large-scale destruction can force innovation and efficiency that would not otherwise occur. Kim counters that the focus must remain on the individual, noting that resources spent on rebuilding could have been directed toward creating new value rather than merely returning to a baseline. The segment closes with Hazlitt’s observation that government has nothing to give anyone that it does not first take from someone else.