Topic: Sylvia Burwell

Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell testified before the Senate regarding the department's budget and its $500 million annual funding of Planned Parenthood. Burwell claimed she had not seen the undercover videos but asserted that grantees must certify they follow laws regarding fetal tissue. Representative Phil Roe, an obstetrician, criticized the Secretary for the "ghoulish" nature of the practices described in the footage.

Peggy Brittan is officially knighted as "Dame Ya Know" with a custom list of "hookers and blow" style requests. The hosts then discuss Sylvia Mathews Burwell, the Secretary of Health and Human Services. They review her professional background at the Walmart Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, noting her influence in global development.

Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell testifies about the opioid epidemic, noting that overdose deaths now exceed car accident fatalities. She reveals that 259 million opioid prescriptions were written in 2012, nearly one for every adult in the U.S. The hosts mock her use of corporate jargon like "solution space" and "prescribing space" during her testimony.

An "economic hitman" listener provides a correction regarding direct flights from West Africa to the United States via Delta Airlines. The discussion shifts to the skepticism surrounding Ebola testing and the sudden emergence of a vaccine market. It is noted that vaccines had been on the shelf for years but were only fast-tracked for testing once a profitable market was established.

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius resigned following the initial rollout of the Affordable Care Act, despite claiming just a week prior that she intended to stay. She is being replaced by Sylvia Burwell, who has extensive management experience at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Walmart Foundation. The hosts view this as a "revolving door" of corporate and NGO influence within the federal government.

Sylvia Burwell, Director of the Office of Management and Budget, discusses the logistical hurdles of restarting the federal government after a 16-day shutdown. The hosts find humor in her claim that government-issued handheld devices might face technical issues due to lack of use.