Washington Insider Curtis Robinson Talks Budget, DC Politics Podcast Por arte de portada

Washington Insider Curtis Robinson Talks Budget, DC Politics

Washington Insider Curtis Robinson Talks Budget, DC Politics

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 Curtis Robinson joins Hy and Christopher to talk about the chances to pass the current budget in Congress and the state of politics in Washington DC. He also mentions a little bit about Hunter S Thompson and Gonzofest 11 while he is at it.Robinson is a veteran newspaper, editor, Washington-based columnist, and member of the National Press Club. He ranks as the consummate Washington insider, and based on what he has heard, he thinks Trump will succeed in passing the budget, and he explains the reasons why. We also find out about the real impact of DOGE, and how it could impact the space industry in Louisiana.Robinson and also cohosts Hunter Gatherers: The Podcast of Hunter S. Thompson stories and we speak about what the great journalist would’ve thought about the current political situation and how he would’ve agreed that Emoluments is not a face cream.Article I, Section 9, Clause 8 of the United States Constitution reads, “No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State.” The “Emoluments Clause” likely includes luxury airplanes.We also chat about whether ending Michoud’s Artemis be justified by Elon Musk’s pursuit of Mars.Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry tweeted an impassioned letter to U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson to save Boeing‘s Artemis rocket program in the coming budget. The future lunar expedition launchers are assembled at New Orleans’ Michoud Space Center, and the rocket construction facility employs hundreds of high-paying, high-tech jobs in Louisiana.The Artemis Project was dealt a blow when its Starliner return vehicle malfunctioned in 2024. Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams were supposed to be in orbit for eight days but the American astronauts remained on the International Space station for nine months until one of Elon Musk’s Space X Dragon capsules returned them to Earth.The disaster led Musk to boast that his rockets were superior to the traditional NASA government contractor, yet Space X’s prototype Starship’s last two flights ended with explosions. That’s the vehicle he proposes to use to begin the process of taking Americans to Mars, instead of back to the Moon, Boeing’s priority.Congress and the NASA administrator nominee Jared Isaacman seem to agree, speeding up the timeline for astronauts to reach the red planet – potentially at the expense of New Orleans’ Michoud facility. Their sudden switch follows the release of the White House’s 2026 budget proposal, which would increase funding for Mars-related projects by $1 billion and pay for the launches. It also signals the Trump’s administration’s intentions to prioritize sending people to Mars.“We are evaluating every opportunity, including launch windows in 2026 and 2028, to test technologies that will land humans on Mars,” said NASA spokesperson Bethany Stevens. The White House first hinted at the possibility last month in a press release after a meeting between Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and President Donald Trump. It indicated the U.S. and Italy would partner on a Mars mission as soon as next year.A Mars mission might be a boon for Musk’s SpaceX, a top contender to provide the rocket. While other companies have rockets that could reach Mars, only SpaceX has announced plans to land one on the planet in 2026.Moreover, Trump, in his inauguration speech, promised to land the first astronaut on the planet; Musk, standing behind him, gave a thumbs up. Isaacman also subsequently told Congress that he would “prioritize” such a mission in testimony ahead of his nomination hearing.Despite Musk pushing Trump to prioritize Mars over a moon landing, a Mars focus could lead to a clash with lawmakers, who have legally mandated that NASA pursue a long-term human presence on or near the moon. Congress may buck Trump and refuse to approve the funding in his budget request, especially if lawmakers worry the effort will delay lunar plans. That is the essence of what Landry has suggested to the Louisiana-born speaker in his defense of the Boeing project.Landry wrote to Johnson: “I am writing to express my strong support for NASA's Artemis program and to urge you to lead Congress in ensuring its continued funding and success. Initiated under President Donald Trump. The Artemis program rightly refocused NASA on returning American astronauts to the Moon and establishing permanent U.S. leadership in space. This mission is a critical steppingstone toward building the interplanetary infrastructure necessary to reach Mars and beyond…Artemis Il, with its core stages built right here in Louisiana at the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, is currently being stacked and prepared for launch in Florida. Meanwhile, Artemis Ill and additional Louisiana-built stages are...
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