Crash Course with Casey Burgat
Mastering the Room
Capitol Confessions: Rep. Jim McGovern Joins 'Mastering the Room'
0:00
-44:38

Capitol Confessions: Rep. Jim McGovern Joins 'Mastering the Room'

We talk a lot about how Washington works—or doesn’t—here on Crash Course. But there are a few people who’ve been around long enough to tell you the difference between the good old days and the chaotic now. Enter Congressman Jim McGovern (D-MA), my guest on this week’s episode of Mastering the Room.

McGovern has served 15 terms in Congress. That’s not a typo. Fifteen.

And if you think that makes him jaded, think again.

We get into:

  • What Capitol Hill looked like when collegiality wasn’t just a talking point

  • The vote he’s most proud of—and the one that still gnaws at him

  • Why the Democrats need to fight harder and smarter

  • How hunger is political (and fixable)

  • Why he carries Tibetan prayer beads (and whether they’re working)

We also talk strategy: what it actually means for Democrats to “fight,” the tightrope of authenticity in a moderate district, and why he thinks letting the chaos reign is a terrible idea.

He’s candid. He’s committed. And yes, he’s got a go-to drink for decompressing after a rough Rules Committee meeting.

🎧 Listen now—and if you enjoy it, rate, review, subscribe, and share it with your fellow political nerds.

Discussion about this episode