The Right Squad America Actually Needs | KMP Ep. 39

0:00Katie Miller:Where are we on gentle parenting versus the old school way of parenting? Old school. Old school. No one believes in the gentle parenting. Tough love. I'm a boy mom. I was in law school. I had a newborn and an 11 month old. So I told people on the scale of bad ideas that one might take the cake. When I started in sports many, many years ago, I was one of very few women covering sports. I always looked at it as I'm a journalist competing in a journalist world. I'm not going to let my gender come in here and define me. They looked back at traditional statewide campaigns and they're like, okay, we've never designed one that fits a mom's schedule.

0:35And I was like, well, it's just going to have to look different. So, and it did. 83 % of the American people are for the Save America Act. Let's get this done. Come on. That's our superpower as women in these positions. And I'm so proud to be here with all of these strong women ahead of Mother's Day, because I think about using those opportunities, not as a prop, but as an opportunity to use our platform and our voice.

1:09Katie Miller:Hi, everyone, and welcome to this week's episode of the Katie Miller podcast. We're so excited to be doing something a little bit different this week. We're joined by the women of the United States Senate. We start with Katie Britt, Marshall Blackburn. Michelle, you're running for Senate in Minnesota. Yes. How exciting. Thank you. I am excited. Ashley Hinson and Ashley Moody. Thank you all for doing this. So briefly, can we do a 30 second, 15 second introduction of what is your top issue in the United States Senate? What gets you out of bed in the morning? The next generation. Making the lives of Tennesseans and future generations better every day.

1:49Getting rid of fraud in Minnesota. I think all Americans would agree with you. Making sure this country remains the country of freedom and a government that our founders intended. The other party these days seems to be wanting a different kind of America and doing everything in their power to make it so. So we wake up every day trying to remain true to the principles of this nation. And telling people's stories and solving their problems. That's why we're all here, is to be problem solvers.

2:20Katie Miller:So there's a lot of, I would say, TV and movies that categorize, and you look at women around a table in the United States Senator and Congress. I was most recently watching Scandal, and you look at the women who were like, gonna come and take down the men. Are there similar meetings that happen in the United States Senate? We probably should. Add that to our to-do list, which is very long. I think it's important that we bring that diversity of opinion in a different perspective. Women have much more of a circuitous process in their careers. And they take time out for children. They take time out to care for elderly parents.

3:06They're in and out of careers. and guys look at things on a trajectory. And we look at a problem set. Here is a problem and we need to solve it. And let's get it done in the most effective, efficient way that we possibly can get it done. So I think we bring a difference of opinion and perspective. And the word she used there, efficiency, I think moms especially, we get up here and we're like, we're dealing with backpack issues right now. Like the dangers to our children right now, example, technology, other things, We're grappling with those at night. How do we parent? How do we supervise? How do we warn our fellow moms?

3:42So the immediacy of getting things done and that need when we get up here, I think you find a fire in us. Like, how do we make this more efficient? How do we bring this to a conclusion? Sometimes in Washington, there is a tendency to allow the discussion to go on for so long and nothing gets done. Action is merited right now for this next generation, as Senator Britt said. and I think all of us are signed up to do that. I'm ready to bring action. I mean, you know, seriously, it's seeing the problems before they even happen. I don't know about y 'all, my kids are older now, but when I walk the dog, I'm like Secret Service.

4:19I'm looking, where can there be trouble for this dog? What's he gonna try to get into? You did that with your kids the whole time they were growing up. You're looking for, oh, don't go over there, don't, you know, let's be careful about that. Not helicopter-y, but the sense that we know there are things out there that we have to anticipate and hit them hard before they get to be big problems.

4:37Katie Miller:Since you brought it up, where are we on gentle parenting versus the old school way of parenting? Old school. Old school. No one believes in the gentle parenting. Tough love. I'm a boy mom, right? So two boys, two teenage boys, which actually is the best training for serving in Congress, is being a teenage boy mom because you negotiate with unreasonable people all the time, which is what we do here. Oh, that's good. And, you know, they smell bad. this place can smell bad from time to time. And again, you have to hold firm, right? You have to stand for your principles. And I think so there's a lot of synergy between being a mom, give something to a busy woman if you want it done.

5:12And that's my approach to governing here in D.C. Yeah, and I think too, and this kind of goes back to your previous question and this one, like this group right here, I think anybody can identify a problem. And you have a lot of people who get to Congress or get to the United States Senate because they can. The difference in the group of women that are sitting here is we are going to find a solution. And that's one thing I said when I ran. That's one thing that I have seen from the women on this panel. It's one thing to talk about it, Katie, but it's another one to kind of sort of put the nuts and bolts together in a way that actually achieves results for the American people.

5:50And so we are results oriented and we're doers. And so we're not going to sit by and let a problem persist. We're going to get in a room and figure out how to solve that. That's exactly right. And it's so frustrating when you say, this is what we should be doing. And then you have the talk-talk party that takes place for the next six months. So what's the last example of that happening?

6:15Katie Miller:Is that like voter ID where it's not getting done? Well, and that's a great example. Eighty-three percent of the American people are for the Save America Act. Let's get this done. Come on. You know, when you look at DHS funding, people want the Department of Homeland Security funded. Whether it's FEMA, TSA, Homeland Security Investigations, ICE, people want to be secure. And so moving to a reconciliation bill. So we're saying none of the problem here. I think action. Action is the problem. It is very frustrating. And I think the American people are frustrated with a lot of talk and no action. And it is women who are multitaskers who are bringing forward solutions.

7:02If you don't like the solution I propose, tell me what is better. But let's get the job done.

7:09Katie Miller:One of the things you all have in common is that you're all mothers. And a grandma. And a grandma. Get a special award for that one. I've heard that it's better. And your grandbabies are getting so big, too. They're growing. I think that's when you're truly rich is when like your babies have babies and then you get to have more babies. My mom told me that she finally realized why she had us. It was to have them. So I was like, well, that's some tough love right now. That's some tough love. You're like, thanks, mom. Yaya for the win. And my mother-in-law said, if I had known grandchildren was going to be so fun, I would have done that first.

7:40They're awesome.

7:41Katie Miller:But where we're going with this is one of the criticisms that I get a lot, especially as a young mother, is that I choose to be a working mother while espousing views that, you know, women should have babies younger. They shouldn't put careers sometimes ahead of the choice to have a marriage and have babies, especially as we all see the fertility rate declining in our country. And, you know, we talk a lot, especially among the Republican Party, about the importance of family and family unit. How do you guys each square the circle of saying that I'm a working mom, but yet I'm telling other women that they should have babies as well?

8:14Well, I think you can do it all, right? And you never know what you're capable of doing until you have to do it. And I think we all can say there's no manual for how to be a good parent, but you figure it out. And as long as you prioritize the right things, you can be successful at all of those things. And I look at my boys, and I'm sure the other women here have had the same experience. Women get asked the question of how are you going to do all this with your kids when men would never get asked that question. and at the door when I was out campaigning in my first race, I had a woman who actually said, oh, how dare you leave your children and go run for office?

8:46And I actually said, well, it turns out they have a great father who is not their babysitter, he's their father, and you just figure out how to get an opportunity.

8:53Katie Miller:So would you say something you all have in common is a very supportive spouse? Absolutely. Yes, 100%. 100%. The whole time I was working in television, I was gone half the week, every single week. I was gone from, you know, Wednesday to Monday. But would you say that something that, and I'm not being critical, it's stuff pointed at myself as well, that, you know, that is something that us as conservatives, we talk about the importance of this nuclear family unit and the mother being, you know, the primary caregiver, but yet some of us are not living that same example. I differ with that just a little bit, Katie, because I feel like that God uses nontraditional leaders and he uses godly women.

9:37And there are examples of that in the Old Testament. You look at Deborah. You look at Esther. And they used what God had called them to, to benefit their people. You look at Proverbs 31 and how it lays out what a godly woman should do. So I believe if you are called to this and you know God has placed that call on your life, then of course you're going to be able to follow that and to move forward and to be a great example for your family, for your daughters, your granddaughters, and other women, and show how you can purposefully and intentionally lead and have an impact on your community and your state and your country.

10:36And I think it's wonderful if you can commit that time and take time away from your work life and stay home. And my mother stayed home with us for a very long time in our lives. I think it is amazing, and there is a role for the mother that is so unique and so needed and so necessary. And so I would say what I've always tried to do is work and my spouse understands this and he has been absolutely amazing and it's not just does he take on extra tasks which I'm sure he does but it's also I understand that being a mother is your number one priority he'll often remind me and a wife which is true but being a mother is your number one priority and I want to make sure that you can meet that goal of yours I believe that is my calling as well being a mother and do this and so when I started taking on other things in life I just said if I can't be the best mom and maintain that traditional role in fact if we didn't have things like Instacart and Amazon and all of the things I have ordered cleats walking into meetings ordered cleats delivered that same day so if I could not take on those traditional that traditional role of being a great mom and if I let that slip at all I wouldn't do these other things that's just always been an agreement that I've had with myself number one with my husband and he is amazing at making sure that not only I'm being number one mom but I that he's helping me achieve that and that he's supporting me encouraging me along the

12:11Katie Miller:way so what's the funniest thing someone's spouse has done to step into that role while you guys are here in D.C.? Because I know there's a good story somewhere. Okay, I'll have one. We were going through infertility issues. It was brutal. It was, I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. And I was going to cover an NBA game and my husband was going with me. And we were doing the shots and all this drugs and stuff to try to get pregnant. And we got to the airport and realized we had forgotten one very important shot that we needed. We're in the airport and he ran, got in a cab, offered the cabbie a huge tip to get him home, to get the vial, to get back to the airport, and literally I'm standing at the gate of the plane, they're like, ma 'am, we've gotta shut the doors.

12:55I said, I promise you he's coming, we just, we need this shot, we're trying to have a baby. And I see him sprinting down the concourse toward the airplane door, and he couldn't, we finally got on the plane and everyone was like clapping for us. He couldn't breathe for about 10 minutes, he was just so exhausted from having to run home and get that vial so we can try to have this baby. That's so great. That is great. That was the best. He's the best.

13:21Katie Miller:I have a similar story with Stephen going to run home to get the nan at baby camera, just as we're going on our first trip, like spritz to the airport. He makes it. It's fine. I love it. That's great. My husband is so funny. He's a jokester. He tells lots of jokes. And whether it was with children or now with grandchildren, children when he's doing something that kind of helps fill that void. Sometimes he'll sing, when a man loves a woman. And the next line of the song is whatever it is that he is doing, you know, that is helping with that chore. And so that is always our reminder. Humor. Yeah, for sure.

14:05You know, when you're trying to do a lot of things in a short amount of time, and I've always just said, okay, I'm gonna make this work and I'm gonna build the schedule around to make sure we're doing it all and we're doing it all well. But sometimes things fall through their cracks. For example, you may have multiple events that require different kinds of clothing because you're moving from, at least in my state, you're going from a farm and you may end up at the Space Coast, you know, it just depends. That is so true. So multiple times I've had to say, oh my goodness, I didn't pack anything.

14:35Can you please bring it with you? and then I open up the bag and it is atrocious what he has put together and then I feel so bad because he's taken so much time to try and match the shoes to the outfit and I just pretend like this is wonderful and then I feel like a clown when I'm walking in but I still try because I don't want him to refuse next time so I'm trying to be a positive reinforcement yeah I'm hacking by FaceTime. Yes, right. Tell me what all you can put in there. And I think that's probably one thing that we all share too, is we wouldn't be in this without, it had been a joint conversation between us and our spouse.

15:14I mean, Wesley and I prayed about this and prayed about it and prayed about it some more. And to be truthful with you, the fact that, you know, I knew my children would be home during the week and I would be here a plane flight away. And I knew that I would be missing things and moments in their life was a real tug. It was ultimately my kids that talked to me and said, no mom, you know, you've got to do this. And my daughter even, you know, ended up saying, I said, baby, it's a really hard thing. And she said, mom, doesn't God call you to do hard things? And, you know, I certainly want to be that kind of sort of model for my daughter, but I also want to be it for my son too.

15:52And I think it's important for them to see women who are working to make it work. And look, if you have or want the opportunity to stay home, I want that for you. So where do you come down in the trad wife phenomenon? Well, if you want or need the opportunity to enter the workforce, then let's figure out how to make that work too. And I think it's the lack of judgment that we need here. I want as many women to have as many babies and to bring life into this world. But know that God, as Marcia said, calls each and every one of us to a different plan or purpose. And I think when you're thinking about the mom who is working nights at the hospital, all night long who may be missing moments too, or someone who's a truck driver who's gone for two weeks, or someone who serves our country and leaves for months on end, never knowing if they're going to have an opportunity to return home.

16:40I think we've got to move back to a posture of lack of judgment, encouragement of people to figure out how to build their family, but knowing that each and every one of us has called to do something different.

16:52Katie Miller:So the two follow-up to have on that is, so what do you think of the child-wife phenomena? I mean, you've got to kind of explain it to me. I mean, you're not chronically online to see these videos? No, I'm not. Does anyone else know what I'm talking about? No, Tia was going to tell you this. I think it's, you know, I don't know. Seriously? No, seriously. I don't know that it's a phenomenon. No, I think it's always been there. I mean, women have always wanted to be at home with their children. Yeah, that's just a new term. Because you guys actually need to know this, but it's like, they make fun of conservative women who, like, they take these videos of them, like, cooking the food, taking care of the kids.

17:21Katie Miller:It's like these chronically online women, like Nara Smith. No, this doesn't bring... No. I cook Sunday lunch every Sunday. I do, but I'm terrible. I'm terrible at cooking. When I cook my children... Everyone else over here knows what I'm talking about, correct? My children are kind of like, please, I know. Can Dad do that? I mean, my kids are... Oh, I did cook for one time. Bridgeway had his... But they take videos of them cooking. Of themselves? Yes. And are they bragging? Yeah, they're bragging that they're making stuff a whole way from scratch. Okay, good for them. I do that all the time. She actually does it.

17:56She actually does it. You don't want me to do it, but she does it. I do that. We've done cooking videos. I mean, am I the trad grandma or what? Cut that out. No, but Katie, I do that yesterday. She does. I showed Katie Sunday. I do Sunday lunch every Sunday for our family. And so we're always sending photos back and forth. settings and things. And yesterday, we're at Judiciary Committee, and I showed her this photo. I said, Katie, look, here was my salad platter for Sunday lunch. And it was so beautiful and colorful. And Eric Schmidt was in between us. I know. Eric was having, he had no clue what was going on, food, feed.

18:48And I had shaved some Brussels sprouts on top of the lettuce. Yes, she did. And it looked absolutely great. It was beautiful, along with the table setting that was like 100. It was great. I don't have the patience for that kind of thing. I'd rather just have someone else do it and order it.

19:05Katie Miller:I can't shave Brussels sprouts. See, I love it. I love it. Okay, so we're gonna take a little turn now since I asked about Trout Wives. Does anyone else know what the Alex Cooper, Alex Earl feud is about? No, this is totally fly. You know what, honestly, don't care. Yeah, I don't know. Somebody teach me don't have time Clearly our comm shops have some work to do you know I do it. Yeah, I think I get like a news of the day Maybe we need like a you know, here's what's trending of the day. Yeah, maybe we do my kids tell me I need to have a pop briefing every week because I Just lingo and issues so focused.

19:45You're so on delivering for or Tennesseans. I don't look at all of that. I don't look online. Yeah. So credible. But I think the key here is that you're not like seeing. I'm dying. Like this is the funniest thing I've ever seen. You're not seeing any of us here like choose between. Are you thinking we're a bunch of boomers? Is that what you're thinking? No, I would never be that mean. I would only do that to Democrats. No, but I think what you're getting is you're isolating the two things as if you have to have one or another. And I think one of the things I see these wonderful, amazing ladies do and I watch her every day and it is such a great example of it.

20:19You can embrace so much of what makes mothers unique and a lot of the traditional efforts that we bring to a family and yet add on additional responsibilities to serve in a way that you feel called. I don't believe one necessarily excludes the other. I just think it has to look different than the traditional ways that these roles look.

20:40Katie Miller:So on being women I would say that one of the things that was very big in the biding years was talking about celebrating women and this diversity of women and all these symposiums that said women only, we must hire more women and have these diversity quotas, right, that pushed women into these leadership roles. And I think all of you would agree that you're there based on merit, not just because your gender. I would never want anyone to hire me because I was a woman. I would want to beat out everyone. I am very competitive. There's no, I would not want anyone to give me that edge. Let me win fair and square.

21:12Katie Miller:So what I would say is how do you square that when I'm sure you guys are all getting invited to big events that celebrate women as this or women in something? I'm sure you guys all go because it's great exposure. But do you ever think, hmm, like what are we actually doing here? You know, when I started in sports many, many years ago, I was one of very few women covering sports. And so very often in the press conferences, I was the only woman. And it was pointed out to me quite a bit. you know and how is it competing in a man's world well I always looked at it as I'm a journalist competing in a journalist world I'm not gonna let my gender come in here and define me now there are things that I I'm going to you know I embrace the fact that I'm a woman I know we're all different you know you can't put men and women's sports that I know for sure And Martha's helped define what a woman is.

22:03That's right. But what I'm saying is that it doesn't, like I don't want to fall into this neat category. Like I remember Hillary Clinton saying women have to vote for other women. Hillary, I didn't vote for you. I'm sorry because you're not the kind of woman that I believed made the leader. So I'm reticent to just say that all women need to do things as a monolithic block, because I don't think that's true. But if you embrace the role, the unique, necessary, loving, giving, caring role of a mother, you invited us all here today to celebrate Mother's Day and talk about how we are living out that role of being a mom and balancing the calling that we've all had to become public servants.

22:51And that's unique. And so we can talk about those things because we may be trying to fulfill these important roles at home while we are serving our fellow American citizen. And that is what makes this unique. Again, I can share with you stories, funny stories, about my husband picking out my outfits or trying to come up with a recipe in the middle of a hearing. And that might be unique to us because we're trying, again, and I go back to how I started, if my number one role right now is being a great mom, how can I do that and also use that experience to serve? Yeah, and you talk about the platform, right?