i think it is a wonderful opportunity for members to get back to their states, said senator patty murray of washington, who secured over $280 million for her state. she will chair the appropriations committee in the senate and the 118th congress. molly reynolds at the booking institution set the process allows members to have a stake in a legislative process typically governed by senior leadership. the increase in the last spending bill could reflect the fact that many members have never experienced the earmark process given they were elected after lawmakers concerned about the abuse of the practice put a moratorium on earmarks in 2011. jb from pop springs, arkansas. -- hot springs, arkansas. caller: how are you doing? i was going to comment on the money we are spending in ukraine. i noticed the speech when zelenskyy spoke. a lot of republicans just sat there. i thought that was kinda shameful. the way i see it, we are not sending money to ukraine. we are sending armaments, tanks, planes, whatever. these armaments are laid -- made right here in america. we are spending money on ourselves

i think it is a wonderful opportunity for members to get back to their states, said senator patty murrayf washington, who secured over $280 million for her state. she will chair the appropriations committee in the senate and the 118th congress. molly reynolds at the booking institution set the process allows members to have a stake in a legislative process typically governed by senior leadership. the increase in the last spending bill could reflect the fact that many members have never experienced the earmark process given they were elected after lawmakers concerned about the abuse of the practice put a moratorium on earmarks in 2011. jb from pop springs, arkansas. -- hot springs, arkansas. caller: how are you doing? i was going to comment on the money we are spending in ukraine. i noticed the speech when zelenskyy spoke. a lot of republicans just sat there. i thought that was kinda shameful. the way i see it, we are not sending money to ukraine. we are sending armaments, tanks, planes, whatever. these armaments are laid -- made right here in america. we are spending money on ourselves.

except for patty murray and the governor at the state level and the federal level.ve democrats. but at the local level, in eastern washington, you get the ballot and there is nothing but republicans on it. host: max, thank you for chatting about it. less than 15 minutes left in this segment. i want to hear about your life influences and -- experiences and what shape your view of politics. we have numbers where you can call in and discuss. republicans (202) 748-8001 democrats (202) 748-8000 independents (202) 748-8002 this is dave out of the peach state, republican. good morning. caller: hello first of all, you will not believe this, but i grew up about 50 miles down the road from where max was calling from. i am calling from georgia. any how, one thing i would like to ask is the next time you get a communist on the line, that he says he votes democrat, would you ask him why? why he doesn't vote for the communist party. and he votes for the democrat party. host: sure, dave. what is your life story? caller: basically i was born in mollo all and grew up there and then

i want to go over some highlights of this plan that is proposed by eightemratic senator patty murray, as well as republican senator richard burr. it among other things would improve strategy and coordination among public health epedness agencies, strengthen supply chain and government stockpiles of mic products, it would require the senate to confirm the cdc director and an agencywide, strategic plan it would improve our capabilities to detect and motor emerging disease, it would enhance the development of tests, treatments, and vaccines. it would improve public health communication in address misinformation. and revitalize public and community health worker forces. that is the bipartisan pandemic act that is pending before the senate. let's take some more of your calls. bill in mobile, alabama. what are your thoughts? caller: the old english prime minister said there are three kinds of lies. lies, doom lies, and statistics -- damn lies, and statistics. when they say people would be hospitalized more if they had covid, suddenly people were dying of covid even if they had a heart attac

i want to over some highlightsf is plan that is proposed by eight democratic senator patty murray, as well as republican senator richard burr. it among other thingwod improve strategy and coordination among public health preparedness agencs, strengthen supply cha and government stockpiles of medical products, it would require the senate to confirm the cdc director and an agencywide, strategic plan it would improve oucabilities to detect and monitor emerging disease, it would enhance the development of tests, treatments, and vaccines. it would improve public health communication in address misinformation. and revitalize public and community health worker forces. that is the bipartisan pandemic act that is pending before the senate. let's take some more of your calls. bill in mobile, alabama. what are your thoughts? caller: the old english prime minister said there are three kinds of lies. lies, doom lies, and statistics -- damn lies, and statistics. when they say people would be hospitalized more if they had covid, suddenly people were dying of covid even if they had a heart attack. my

except for patty murray and the governor at the state level and the federal level.have democrats. but at the local level, in eastern washington, you get the ballot and there is nothing but republicans on it. host: max, thank you for chatting about it. less than 15 minutes left in this segment. i want to hear about your life influences and -- experiences and what shape your view of politics. we have numbers where you can call in and discuss. republicans (202) 748-8001 democrats (202) 748-8000 independents (202) 748-8002 this is dave out of the peach state, republican. good morning. caller: hello first of all, you will not believe this, but i grew up about 50 miles down the road from where max was calling from. i am calling from georgia. any how, one thing i would like to ask is the next time you get a communist on the line, that he says he votes democrat, would you ask him why? why he doesn't vote for the communist party. and he votes for the democrat party. host: sure, dave. what is your life story? caller: basically i was born in mollo all and grew up there and the

and we decided to put together a team, a natural ally on that team was senator patty murray, democrat of the state of washington. the lead democrat on the help committee and the appropriations committee. and it rounded out to two democrats, two republicans, now retired senator lamar alexander, who led the help committee when patty murray was ranking member, and vice versa. we greed on a common goal, the four of us, 5% real growth every year in the national institutes of health. in the first year working together, senator blunt overdid it. he helped steer a historic $2 billion, or 7%, to the nih. i remember getting a phone call from roy. it was a few weeks before christmas. we were on break with our families, and it's uncommon for senators to call one another under those circumstances. but he called me, he said he had just spoken with the leaders from barnes jewish hospital, which is a major health and research institution in st. louis. they were ecstatic about the care they were able to give their patients and the research they were going to undertake because of this new level of fund