Three Congressional Resolutions Restore Consumer Freedom and Energy Independence

On the June 16, 2025 broadcast, Kim Monson tackles the collision between government mandates and individual freedom with automotive expert Lauren Fix on three landmark Congressional Review Act resolutions, retired border agent Chris Harris on enforcement gains and the No Kings Day protests, Karen Gordey on a sweeping Lakewood zoning rewrite, financial advisor Jody Hinsey on retirement strategy, and insurance professional Roger Mangan on Social Security timing.

Congressional Review Act Resolutions End EV Mandates and Diesel Restrictions

Start listening at 31:15 – Hour 1

Lauren Fix of Car Coach Reports breaks down three Congressional Review Act resolutions signed by President Trump that permanently eliminate the Biden-era electric vehicle mandate, diesel emissions restrictions for trucks, and several other regulatory burdens. Fix explains that the CRA process, championed by EPA head Lee Zeldin, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, and Energy Secretary Chris Wright, passed both chambers of Congress with bipartisan support and cannot be reinstated without a 75 percent supermajority.

Fix details how California Governor Gavin Newsom plans to sue over the reversal but lacks legal standing since the legislation passed through proper congressional channels. She outlines the broader push to strip the California Air Resources Board of its power to dictate vehicle standards for all 50 states, a power that expanded under the Obama and Biden administrations. Fix also covers Trump’s plan to ban windmills, citing their environmental damage to birds, whales, and surrounding property values, along with their inability to supply more than 10 percent of the nation’s energy needs.

On tariffs and manufacturing, Fix reports that Honda, Volkswagen, and other automakers are already shifting production back to American plants. She warns that Gavin Newsom may attempt to raise gasoline prices artificially to force consumers toward electric vehicles, and she advocates for removing the kill switch mandate that enables government surveillance of drivers.

“Once the Trump administration got in, Lee Zeldin, Sean Duffy, Chris Wright from Energy, they got together. They put together what’s called a CRA, which is a Congressional Review Act.”

Lauren Fix, Car Coach Reports

Lakewood Zoning Overhaul Threatens Property Rights Across the Front Range

Start listening at 16:52 – Hour 1

Karen Gordey, owner of Radiant Painting and Lighting and contributor to the Lakewood Informer, sounds the alarm on a 409-page zoning code rewrite that would eliminate single-family zoning in Lakewood. The proposed ordinance, rooted in City Council Resolution 24-62 from December 2024, voluntarily adopts state-level zoning mandates from HB 24-1152, 24-1304, 24-1313, and 24-1007, even as six other Colorado cities are suing Governor Polis over those same provisions encroaching on home rule.

Gordey warns the new code would legalize zero-lot-line construction, allow quadplexes and tiny home villages on single-family lots, eliminate parking requirements, permit 750 square feet of commercial space in residential homes, and cap the size of primary dwelling units above grade at 3,250 square feet. Homeowners who lose a 4,000-square-foot house to fire would be prohibited from rebuilding to original size. She urges Lakewood residents to attend the July 28 first reading and the August 11 public comment hearing.

“I was just floored that multiple planning commissioners are thrilled with this document and how it could be a blueprint for other cities across the Front Range, and they are proud of their work. And it is a salt on property rights and personal freedom.”

Karen Gordey, Lakewood Informer Contributor

Border Enforcement Hits Historic Lows as Self-Deportation Surges

Start listening at 71:05 – Hour 2

Chris Harris, a retired Border Patrol agent with 26 years of federal law enforcement experience in the San Diego sector, reports that illegal border crossings have fallen to their lowest levels since the 1960s and fentanyl seizures have plummeted. Harris attributes the decline to restored enforcement, military support at the border, and a powerful deterrent effect that the Washington Post estimates has driven up to one million people to self-deport.

Harris predicts the Trump administration will shift enforcement resources from rural areas to major sanctuary cities including Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York, and potentially Denver. He highlights an unprecedented wave of Interpol red notice arrests, with Border Patrol and ICE apprehending and extraditing individuals wanted for serious crimes in their home countries. On the No Kings Day protests, Harris observes that organizers instructed demonstrators to fly American flags instead of foreign flags after the optics of Mexican, Palestinian, and Guatemalan flags alienated moderate voters.

Harris addresses Colorado Senate Bill 276, which expanded protections for illegal immigrants despite the governor’s denial that Colorado is a sanctuary state. He calls for a revival of a Bracero-style guest worker program that would allow seasonal laborers to work legally and return home, and he stresses that congressional immigration reform remains the essential third phase after border security and interior enforcement.

“No nation state in the history of the world has been able to succeed and survive if they can’t control their own borders.”

Chris Harris, Retired Border Patrol Agent

Retirement Planning and the Social Security Timing Decision

Start listening at 64:11 – Hour 2

Roger Mangan of the Roger Mangan State Farm Insurance Team walks through the financial calculus of when to begin drawing Social Security benefits. He explains that claiming at age 62 reduces the benefit to 70 percent of the full amount, while earning more than $23,400 from outside employment triggers a penalty of one dollar for every three dollars earned above that threshold. Waiting until age 70 adds 8 percent per year beyond the normal retirement age of 66, potentially growing a $2,000 monthly benefit to $2,721.

Mangan advises against waiting until 70, noting that health complications frequently arise in those years. He recommends consulting a financial advisor to model the individual tradeoffs and suggests that listeners contact Mint Financial Strategies for personalized guidance.

“When you get to that point, you really need to talk to somebody who is a solid financial advisor and see if there are other methodologies or strategies for you to exercise to maximize your Social Security in your retirement years.”

Roger Mangan, State Farm Insurance

Budgeting and Retirement Savings for Financial Freedom

Start listening at 09:17 – Hour 1

Jody Hinsey of Mint Financial Strategies responds to Kim’s proposal for a data ownership movement by connecting it to the broader challenge of household financial freedom. She notes that 46 percent of American households have zero retirement funds in accounts like 401(k)s and IRAs, and explains that contributing to tax-deferred retirement plans is one of the most effective ways to reduce taxable income while building long-term wealth.

Hinsey emphasizes that financial freedom comes down to two levers: lowering expenses and increasing income. She advocates for disciplined budgeting in an era of consumerism and buy-now-pay-later culture, calling the keeping-up-with-the-Joneses mentality incongruous with genuine financial independence.

“It says 46 percent of households have zero retirement funds in accounts like 401ks and IRAs. And, you know, that’s interesting, because one way to increase your paycheck or reduce some of the taxes that you’re sending to our favorite uncle, or the IRS is by contributing to some of those retirement plans. Because by doing that, you are deferring your income.”

Jody Hinsey, Mint Financial Strategies