Business Before Hours: Why Gridlock Rules Washington and How We Can Solve the Crisis

Name: Business Before Hours: Why Gridlock Rules Washington and How We Can Solve the Crisis

Date: November 14, 2018

Time: 7:15 AM - 9:00 AM EST

Registration: Sorry, public registration for this event has been closed.

Event Description:

Pre-registration is now closed. Walk-ins will be available. Thank you!

Join the Palm Beach North Chamber of Commerce for our Business Before Hours Breakfast on Wednesday, November 14 with Former Congressmen David Jolly and Patrick Murphy, moderated by, Todd McDermott, WPBF.

About the Speakers
Former Congressman David Jolly served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2014 - 2017. A student of the institution, Jolly has held virtually every position in Congress, from intern to Member, and has worked outside the Congress as an attorney and political consultant, as well as in specialty finance.

Known for his fierce independent streak and bipartisan approach, Jolly was first elected in a special election in Florida, a Republican winning a Democratic leaning district. It was his first run for elective office and became one of the most expensive Congressional races in U.S. history at the time. It made Jolly a fierce campaign finance reform advocate and his resulting legislative effort to prohibit Members of Congress from directly soliciting campaign contributions was ultimately featured on CBS' 60 Minutes.

Today, Jolly can often be seen as a policy and politics analyst on MSNBC and CNN, including regular appearances on The 11th Hour with Brian Williams, Hardball with Chris Matthews, CNN Tonight with Don Lemon, The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell, Deadline White House with Nicolle Wallace, All In with Chris Hayes, and many others. Jolly has also appeared on HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher, and regularly on PoliticKing with Larry King.

Jolly's work has been published in Time, Roll Call, the Washington Post, CNN.com, NewsMax, the Washington Times, and the Tampa Bay Times. Jolly also served as an Adjunct Professor at the University of South Florida and is currently authoring his first book.

A Washington Post columnist wrote, "Jolly speaks the truth." The Tampa Bay Times, "It's refreshing to hear someone take on the system." And upon leaving Congress, one columnist penned, "Farewell to the one Congressman willing to compromise."

Jolly received his Bachelor of Arts from Emory University in 1994, and his Juris Doctor Cum Laude from George Mason University in 2001. The son of a minister, Jolly is a fifth-generation Floridian and resides today with his wife Laura in Belleair Bluffs, Florida.

Congressman Patrick Murphy represented Florida's 18th district, covering the Treasure Coast and northern Palm Beach County, from 2013 until 2017.

A CPA and businessman who grew frustrated with the dysfunction in Washington, Murphy took on and defeated Tea Party firebrand Allen West in 2012 in one of the closest and most expensive U.S. House races in history. Two years later, he was re-elected by a 20-point margin.

Murphy's key accomplishments in office include helping secure nearly $2 billion in Everglades restoration funding, introducing the SAVE Act to eliminate billions in wasteful government spending, and passing legislation to reform the national flood insurance market. One of the first millennials elected to Congress, Murphy formed the bipartisan United Solutions Caucus, bringing members of both parties together to explore ways to get the nation/s fiscal house in order. He was named 2014's Champion of the Everglades by Audubon Florida for his strong environmental advocacy.

In the House, Murphy served on the Financial Services Committee and the Select Committee on Intelligence, where he authored several key national security provisions included in the 2017 intel authorization. Known as a problem-solver able to work across the aisle, Murphy had one of the most independent voting records among all members during his two terms.

After leaving office in 2017, Murphy was named chair of the Future Forum Foundation, a nonprofit group working to address economic issues facing millennials. He was selected to be one of six Visiting Fellows at the prestigious Georgetown Institute of Politics and Public Service for the fall 2017 semester, and in 2018 became a Senior Fellow at Florida International University's Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs.

Murphy, 35, resides in Jupiter in Palm Beach County.

About the Moderator

Todd McDermott co-anchors WPBF 25 News at 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. with Felicia Rodriguez. Todd has served as the moderator for a number of statewide debates including: Decision 2016: U.S. Senate Debate, 2018 Race for Governor: Democratic Primary Debate, and Decision 2018: Florida Gubernatorial Debate.

Before his arrival in West Palm Beach in 2012, Todd anchored the weekday 5 p.m. newscast and weekend evening shows for the CBS flagship station in New York City. While in New York, McDermott did national correspondent work for the network, hosted the "CBS Early Show," and anchored the CBS Morning News. He also, previously anchored at WUSA in Washington, D.C., WPXI in Pittsburgh, WMAR in Baltimore, and KSNW in Wichita.

Todd is the recipient of an Emmy for "Best Anchor" while in Washington D.C. He was also honored with an Emmy for WPBF 25's "Chronicle: Crime Files - Behind the Tape," as well as the documentary "Cuba: Unlocked" which journaled life in Cuba under renewed U.S. diplomatic relations. Additionally, Todd earned the New York Associated Press Award for Excellence for his reporting following the Sept. 11^th attacks.

Todd, who brings a real passion for politics to WPBF 25 News, earned a political science degree from Canisius College in his hometown of Buffalo.