Never having run for office before, Rep. Katie Porter defied expectations in 2018 when she was elected to Congress as a Democrat in historically conservative Orange County, California. Underestimated as a single mom and chided for her progressive values, she quickly went viral for videos of her using a whiteboard to take CEOs and corrupt government officials to task in Congressional hearings.

I Swear: Politics Is Messier Than My Minivan shares what it’s really like to serve in Congress and exposes the gaps between politicians’ press conferences and real people’s lives. With the same clarity she demonstrates in Congressional hearings, Rep. Porter makes the case for consumer protection, corporate accountability, and anti-corruption reforms, providing whiteboard lessons on where your campaign donations go, how to fight the corporations that cheat you, and how to conduct her trademark robust oversight.

Full of candid and inspiring stories—from how Rep. Porter lent Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez a pair of sneakers during the Capitol attack on January 6, 2021, to her kids’ lightly illegal campaign hijinks—this is a book by an exhausted, committed parent who just doesn’t have the time for nonsense in her house or in the House of Representatives. 

Rep. Porter will be in conversation with Molly Ball, TIME magazine’s National Political Correspondent and author of the New York Times bestseller, Pelosi.

Book signing to follow.

At all in-person events April 17 – 29, we’re collecting clothing for groups providing support to migrants arriving in DC. We are only able to accept items found on our list here.
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