Topic: Ep. 248 – Understanding the Senate: How The Senate Floor Really Works
When: Tuesday 4/1/2025 at 2:00 pm ET
Ever wondered what really happens behind the scenes in the U.S. Senate? In this episode, we’re getting an exclusive look at the Senate floor with Josh Holmes, host of the popular “Ruthless” podcast and former Senate Leadership chief of staff. He’ll reveal the intricacies of Senate debates, the unique rules that govern them, and the power plays that shape legislation. Join us for an insider’s perspective on the U.S. Senate as we continue our series on “How a Bill Becomes a Law.”
Meet the Guests
Josh Holmes
Josh Holmes is widely recognized as one of the preeminent political strategists in Washington with two decades of experience inside government and out. In Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell’s memoir, he refers to Holmes as “one of the greatest political minds of his generation.”
Holmes served as Chief of Staff to Leader McConnell from 2010-2013 before leaving to run his historic reelection efforts in 2014 that resulted in the first Republican Senate Majority in nearly a decade.
Early in his career, Holmes was a communications specialist serving as a Director of Rapid Response for the Republican National Committee and Staff Director of the Senate Republican Communications Center. Holmes has worked in both the House and Senate and is responsible for some of the most recognizable conservative messaging of the era.
In 2015, Holmes founded Cavalry, LLC with his partners, which has become one of the most prominent names in public affairs, serving clients in nearly every sector of the economy. Holmes has served as an advisor to the NRSC and many successful U.S. Senate campaigns since 2002 and continues to run Team Mitch, which is the primary political entity for Senator Mitch McConnell.
In 2020, Holmes helped found Bobcat Media, which produces one of the nation’s top political podcasts, “Ruthless,” which he co-hosts.
Holmes is a frequent guest on Fox News and resides in Arlington, Virginia with his wife Blair and two sons.
Jade West
Jade West worked for more than twenty years in the U.S. Senate, first as Executive Director of the Senate Steering Committee, then as Staff Director of the Senate Republican Policy Committee. In her position with the Policy Committee, a Senate GOP Leadership office, she was responsible for a staff of policy experts who provided technical and policy analysis, research papers, talking points, detailed legislative summaries and procedural counsel to Republican Senators and their staffs.
In 2002 she joined the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors as Chief Government Relations Officer, where she oversaw NAW’s legislative activities on Capitol Hill. She was also Executive Director of the NAW Political Action Committee. She retired from NAW in 2023.
In 2015 Jade’s leadership was recognized by her colleagues when she was named 2015 Lobbyist of Year by CEO Update – only the second association lobbying to receive that reward.
She now serves on the Board of Trustees of the Fund for American Studies.