Rep. Katie Porter — I Swear: Politics Is Messier Than My Minivan

Watch Rep. Katie Porter's book talk and reading at Sixth & I in Washington, D.C.

Footage courtesy of Sixth & I.

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.

Katie Porter represents Orange County, California, in Congress. Prior to being elected in 2018, she was a law professor and consumer finance expert. Katie lives with her three school-aged kids in Irvine, California.

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Founded by Carla Cohen and Barbara Meade in 1984, Politics and Prose Bookstore is Washington, D.C.'s premier independent bookstore and cultural hub, a gathering place for people interested in reading and discussing books. Politics and Prose offers superior service, unusual book choices, and a haven for book lovers in the store and online.