Shaheen's Retirement & Sununu's Decision, USAID's Shred & Burn Order, GOP Spending Clash

3 Martini Lunch

Radio America

Politics, Daily News, News Commentary, News

4.6 • 1.4K Ratings

🗓️ 12 March 2025

⏱️ 25 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Join Jim and Greg for 3 Martini Lunch as they break down another Senate Democrat retirement that has Republicans eyeing a pickup, a suspicious document destruction order at USAID, and the GOP debate over federal spending.

First, they react to New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen’s decision not to seek a fourth term, making her the third Senate Democrat to retire this cycle. This creates a prime GOP pickup opportunity in 2026, especially if former Gov. Chris Sununu enters the race. They also take a peek at key Senate races in North Carolina and Minnesota.

Next, they react to a troubling directive at USAID, where employees were urgently ordered to shred or burn sensitive documents. The acting executive secretary’s directive raises alarms, and Jim questions why USAID would even possess so many classified materials. They argue this incident further fuels public skepticism about government waste and secrecy.

Finally, they tackle the clash between President Trump and Republican Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie over federal spending. Massie opposes the GOP-backed bill to fund the government at current levels through September, prompting Trump to denounce him and vow that Massie will face a tough primary next year. Jim and Greg ask when Republicans will finally enforce fiscal discipline—and whether it will happen later this year.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to the three martini lunch.
0:04.9	Grab a stool next to Greg Corumbus of Radio America and Jim Garrity of National
0:08.8	Review.
0:10.5	Three martini's coming up.
0:13.8	Welcome to the Wednesday edition of the three martini lunch.
0:16.8	We are glad you're here.
0:18.0	Grab a stool.
0:18.6	A lot to talk about today.
0:19.9	Good, bad, crazy martinis. So much happening. So, Jim, we're not quite to the middle of March. We're almost there. We already have, and this is not a huge surprise, some people deciding whether or not they'll run for re-election. It's that time after the last election is when you decide if you're going to run again, particularly for seats up in the next two years.
0:39.4	In the U.S. Senate, we've got two Democrats, both kind of surprises, already saying this year, you know, we're not going to run for re-election in 2026.
0:47.8	That includes Gary Peters of Michigan and Tina Smith of Minnesota.
0:51.7	And then, of course, Mitch McConnell McConnell saying he's not going to seek another
0:54.5	term from Kentucky. And so today, we have another Democrat who is not running for reelection.
1:01.2	Jim flagged this because he looked at the campaign fundraising numbers. And when they look really
1:06.9	lousy, especially for a long-term incumbent at the beginning of an election cycle,
1:11.9	it means they're either seriously thinking about not running or they've already decided.
1:15.7	And when it comes to Jean Shaheen of New Hampshire, she made it official today that she will
1:20.1	not be running for re-election.
1:21.9	Serving the people of New Hampshire, first as state senator, then as governor, and now in the United States Senate, is an incredible honor.
1:30.3	New Hampshire is where Billy and I chose to start our family, raised our three daughters, and now we're watching our grandchildren grow up.
1:38.3	I ran for public office to make a difference for the people of New Hampshire. That purpose has never
1:45.9	and will never change. But today, after careful consideration, I'm announcing that I have made the
	...

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