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There's going to be a quick update on what's happening in Washington and then we'll transition to a special politics edition of honoring Women's History Month. So first, the appropriations process is kicking off today. Expected March 9, President Biden's budget will be released. So I want to cover two questions in context to the President's budget. One, what exactly does the President's budget mean and to is this the final budget for the government? So for what does it mean, this the President's budget is essentially his wish list. The Constitution makes clear that Congress holds the power of the purse, giving it authority to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises and specifying that no money shall be drawn from the treasury, but in consequence of appropriations made by law, in short, federal taxing and spending requires an act of Congress, by the president sharing where he views funding should be placed by sending the President's budget to Congress. He's sharing his hopes for what the budget would look like what the appropriations process where funding will be actually spent in layman's term, it helps understand where his priorities are. The State of the Union, which we talked about in a previous episode, is really a first indicator of what the President's budget will likely be. But until that document is released, it is pure speculation. And you'll see the president's party in Congress will always applaud and cheer the request from the President and use it as their basis. So for 2023, Democrats in Congress will likely applaud the President's budget, and Republicans will use it as a counterpoint to the opposing party will notably share their views and likely slash on budget lines, and increase other ones to show what they value. It is a dance, each party has their own views on where tax dollars should be spent. And this is really a good indicator of where the battle lines will be drawn. I hate to say battle but where the lines of contention will be for when Congress gets into the debate of appropriations, the appropriations process. Alright, so we've tackled the first question, what does the President's budget mean? So to the next question, is is the actual budget? You probably guessed it isn't. Like I said earlier, Congress really will have the final say in the coming months and following the release the secretaries of various departments. So think Department of Defense, Health and Human Services Secretary, CDC, Director, folks like that will go up to Congress and to a variety of committees and kind of share the rationale behind the President's budget. And then House and Senate appropriators will begin crafting their funding bills, it always looks a little different. I would be venturing a guess if I give gave you kind of what the rest of the year will look like. But when we're thinking about the President's budget, if you fully understand that it's a wishlist that it creates kind of a starting point for the appropriations process following that will then be kind of when the administration goes to support it, Congress will start to think about okay, what are the issues? What are the areas that we really want to fund or where do we want to tweak? It really kicks off that process. That's what the President's budget means. That's why it's important. And I think it's helpful for you to understand that because you kind of hear these numbers being tossed around, and it gives you more context to what our political process really is. And second, I want to take time to honor our women's history month but with a political twist. First, I want to honor the women who have blazed trails and big and small ways. This list doesn't even scratch the surface of women who have made an impact in our country. I call them out because they did blaze a trail. They lead away for the next generation of which I am a part of. And for that I'm eternally grateful. I think it's so important that we say their names so that we know their stories so that we may make the next generation of female leaders to kick off our list Senator Margaret Chase Smith, she was a main Republican elected to both the House of Representatives in 1940. And then the Senate in 1948. Representative Shirley Chisholm, a New York Democrat, she became the first black woman to serve in Congress. She remained in the House of Representatives until 1982. And of note, Congresswoman Chisholm also ran for president in the Democratic primaries, Patricia Roberts Harris. She was appointed by President Jimmy Carter and served as the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development from 1977 to 79. And then from 79 to 81. She served as a Secretary of Health and Human Services. She was the first black woman to serve in a presidential cabinet and the first woman to hold two different cabinet positions. Ileana ROS laden, a Florida Republican became the first Hispanic woman and first Cuban American to be elected to Congress. She was elected in 1989. And the special election and recently retired, Olympia Snowe, a Maine Republican became the first woman to have been elected to the State House, State Senate, US House and US Senate. Senator Debbie Stabenow, democratic Michigan also followed this path to the US Senate, making her the first Democrat to do so. Fun fact, Senator Stabenow is currently a member of Senate leadership, Condoleezza Rice, she became the first woman to hold a post of national security adviser formerly known as the Assistant to the President for national security affairs, when she was appointed by President George W. Bush. Kamala Harris, who is both black and South Asian, became the first South Asian and second black woman elected to US Senate. And notably, she became our first female vice president. Like I said earlier, this list doesn't even scratch the surface. And why do I say these names? Because it's so important that we remember the impacts that women had. They were the first they stepped out, they were brave. May we all be brave like them? May we all remember how important this country is and that it needs voices of differing opinions of different experiences to make it a better place? This week's episode covered the kickoff of the appropriations process, how the government works to fund itself, as well as my twist on honoring Women's History Month. Thank you again for joining today's episode of The York good news podcast. If you haven't already, go ahead and hit subscribe. Follow me on Instagram. My handle is at Katherine Getty and as always tune in next week to another episode of The your good news podcast.