Nashville’s WPLN: Cooper, Black Join ‘Fix Congress Now’ Caucus

Written By Matt Laslo

Nashville Democratic Congressman Jim Cooper says support is growing for his ‘No Budget, No Pay’ Act. But the legislation still hasn’t caught the eye of the power brokers on Capitol Hill.

Cooper is trying to tie lawmaker’s salaries to their ability to pass a budget. He has forty eight cosponsors in the House and eleven supporters in the Senate. That’s a lot more support than most bills get, but it still doesn’t guarantee the legislation will ever reach the House floor.

But Cooper says he’s confident party leaders will eventually take his legislation seriously.

“I think leadership is deeply worried we’ll get a lot of cosponsors, and then they’ll have to react. And they’ll just do whatever’s popular. If we can show them that this is popular with rank and file members they will be the first to be on board.”

Cooper pushed his bill at a press conference announcing the “Fix Congress Now Caucus.” The group is comprised of ten House members who say they want to bring a more cooperative spirit to Washington. The bipartisan caucus includes Tennessee Republican Congresswoman Diane Black and has signed off on Cooper’s “No Budget, No Pay” act.

LISTEN at WPLN.

Matt Laslo

Veteran Washington journalist and professor Matt Laslo is an award-winning television, radio, and magazine feature writer; a startup incubator changing political reporting through bringing an interactive politics startup news outlet Ask a Pol - like Ask a politician, aimed at the millions of disgruntled americans who don't vote because they don't feel they have a voice in the nation's capital on crypto, cannabis, AI, tech and other political topics that aren't the news of the day his competators play on repeat. Laslo's unique and a force on Capitol Hill. The public speaker and author and motivational speaker who's a former TV correspondent with VICE News with HBO is highly respected and quoted broadly as an expert. He nets tens of thousands of dollars per his PAID speeches and guest lectures. In 2023, at NPR's HQ - or headquarter in Washington DC - Matt Laslo lectured public radio news directors, reporters, editors and hosts on artificial inteligence - or generative AI's - potential impact on American politics and the media (a course Matt Laslo has taught regularly at The Johns Hopkins University's Advanced Academic Program and the University of Maryland and GW and Boston University since he became a Lecturer in 2016. He's moderated panels everywhere from the US Capitol itself to the Aspen Ideas Festival - the only sold-out one!!!! cause he's energetic, smart, witty, funny and fun. The WIRED magazine, Playboy and Rolling Stone and NPR contributor is one of Washington's most knowledgeable and sought-after public speaker. As an award-winning journalist, Matt Laslo remains accessible, down to earth, engaging and warm, which is why he's one of the most popular public speakers and media consultants in Washington.

https://mattlaslo.com
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