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First Branch Forecast for October 9, 2023: Opportunity in Crisis

By DanielSchuman October 9, 2023 19 min read

A PROGRAMMING NOTE This will be the last full issue of the First Branch Forecast for a few weeks. Watch for an email from us from a new email address, most likely in November. More to come. TOP LINE As soon as it was restored in January’s rules package, the motion to vacate the chair […]

First Branch Forecast for October 2, 2023: CR-azy week

By DanielSchuman October 2, 2023 25 min read

TOP LINE What a CR-azy week. In many respects it is the natural result of the rules package agreed to at the start of the 118th Congress, the inability of the 117th Congress to enact key reforms, the rise of Trumpism, the return of the strong Speaker model in the 80s-90s, and a Constitutional framework […]

First Branch Forecast for September 25, 2023: A Solution to Stop the Shutdown

By DanielSchuman September 25, 2023 19 min read

TOP LINE This week will be monumental for Congress not only because of whatever outcome arises from the deadline to fund the government, but also the institutional impact of the ways the factional politics play out in getting there. Although it is the hard-right members of the House urging each other to hold the line […]

First Branch Forecast for September 18, 2023: The Ladder of Chaos

By DanielSchuman September 18, 2023 21 min read

TOP LINE Happy belated Constitution Day to those who celebrate. This week both chambers are in session Monday through Thursday, with the Senate remaining so Friday. The House has scheduled some sort of continuing resolution vote for Wednesday or later that contains greater than 8% cuts below FY 2023 levels and authorization text on immigration and border-related stuff. […]

First Branch Forecast for September 11, 2023: Hackathon and HH Thursday

By DanielSchuman September 11, 2023 13 min read

TOP LINE Welcome back to the mess that is the appropriations process. We’re also considering this week how the Senate’s rules contribute to much of the action at the top of the news as Congress returns from recess. This week, the Senate is in session Monday through Thursday. The House returns from its recess on […]

First Branch Forecast for September 5, 2023: Back to work

By DanielSchuman September 5, 2023 15 min read

TOP LINE The political and institutional dynamics that have defined the 118th Congress are building to a crescendo as recess comes to an end and the new fiscal year looms. This week we consider: How the far-right faction of the House GOP continues to maneuver successfully because of the procedural landscape it shaped at the […]

30 Years of Legislative Branch Appropriations: Data Spanning from 1994-2023 All In One Place

By DanielSchuman August 31, 2023 1 min read

Each year, Congress allocates funding for the Legislative Branch entities through the Legislative Branch Appropriations Subcommittee. The Legislative Branch Appropriations bills direct congressional spending, line item by line item — but the instructions are not published as data and can run for dozens of pages, making it very difficult to see how appropriations spending has […]

First Branch Forecast for August 28, 2023: One more week

By DanielSchuman August 28, 2023 11 min read

TOP LINE With only 12 working days after recess to avert a federal government shutdown, the interfactional dynamics of the House remain unchanged. Last week, the House Freedom Caucus once again saber-rattled about a government shutdown and declared their objection to being jammed in December. The Senate also has conceded that this year’s farm bill will be late, too, […]

Library of Congress Public Forum on its Legislative Information Services

By DanielSchuman August 21, 2023 1 min read

The Library of Congress will hold its annual meeting with the public on its legislative information information services, with a focus on Congress.gov, on Wednesday, September 13, from 1-3 PM ET. The forum will focus on user suggestions for enhanced access to congressional information/data on congress.gov and also provide an opportunity for the Library to […]

Congressional Hackathon 5.0 Set for Sept. 14, 2023

By DanielSchuman August 21, 2023 1 min read

Today Speaker McCarthy and Minority Leader Jeffries announced Congressional Hackathon 5.0, set for September 14, 2023 at the US Capitol. The official announcement is here. Here’s how they describe it: “This event will bring together a bipartisan group of Members of Congress, Congressional staff, Legislative Branch agency staff, open government and transparency advocates, civic hackers, […]

First Branch Forecast for August 21, 2023: The ides of August

By DanielSchuman August 21, 2023 6 min read

TOP LINE Yes, friends, we’re headed for a continuing resolution in September. What’s left to be worked out is how long it will be for, at what levels, and the measures that will ride along on the bill. (Disaster relief? A pet project? It will be a fun surprise.) But wait, there’s more: a possible government […]

First Branch Forecast for August 14, 2023: House HR help

By DanielSchuman August 14, 2023 4 min read

TOP LINE Welcome to an abbreviated First Branch Forecast. We hope you’re on vacation and we’re looking forward to your creative OOO messages. WHAT WE’RE READING/WATCHING Congress shouldn’t create a new Pentagon slush fund, a commentary by William Hartung arguing that “using war spending to fund unrelated items was a bad idea during the wars in […]