Accountability and Oversight

Accountability and Oversight, Congressional Security, Continuity and Resiliency, Modernization, First Branch Forecast, Blog posts

Forecast for June 14, 2021

By DanielSchuman June 14, 2021 28 min read

Welcome to the First Branch Forecast, your weekly look into the Legislative branch and government transparency. Subscribe here. THE TOP LINE Justice Department surveillance. The Justice Department surveilled at least two Members of the House Intelligence Committee, some committee staff, and family members in 2017-8 as part of a “leaks” investigation. Apple and an unidentified Information Service […]

Tags: Department of Justice, US Capitol Police, January 6, debt limit, MRA, Section 702, Surveillance, Political Violence, War Powers, Proxy Voting, Diversity and Inclusion, Freedom of Information Act, Congressional Unionization

Accountability and Oversight, Appropriations, Congressional Security, Congressional Workplace Fairness and Inclusion, First Branch Forecast, Blog posts

Forecast for June 7, 2021

By DanielSchuman June 7, 2021 21 min read

Welcome to the First Branch Forecast, our weekly look into the Legislative branch and government transparency. Don’t miss an issue: subscribe here (it’s free). THE TOP LINE This week. The Senate is back and the House is holding a committee work week. Attorney General Garland will testify on Wednesday and the approps process is heating up. Strengthening Congress. […]

Tags: MRA, US Capitol Police, Surveillance, Section 702, Department of Justice, Staff Pay, Freedom of Information Act

Accountability and Oversight, AI and Emerging Technology, Appropriations, Congressional Security, Continuity and Resiliency, Ethics and Influence, Modernization, Appropriation Tracking, First Branch Forecast, Blog posts

Forecast for June 1, 2021.

By DanielSchuman June 1, 2021 21 min read

Bring on the out-of-office responses and welcome to this recess edition of the First Branch Forecast, where we look into the Legislative branch and government transparency. Now, you’ll have time enough at last to encourage your colleagues to subscribe here. TOP LINE The forgotten art of congressional oversight is the topic of a fantastic, extensive article by the American Prospect’s […]

Tags: Office of Legal Counsel, January 6, Congressional Data, Office of Congressional Workplace Rights

Accountability and Oversight, Appropriations, Congressional Security, Congressional Workplace Fairness and Inclusion, Continuity and Resiliency, Ethics and Influence, Appropriation Tracking, First Branch Forecast, Blog posts

Forecast for May 24, 2021

By DanielSchuman May 24, 2021 19 min read

Welcome to the First Branch Forecast, your weekly look into the Legislative branch and government transparency. Encourage your colleagues to subscribe here. TOP LINE The House is holding a committee work week and the Senate is in. Next week, both chambers will be out to coincide with the Memorial Day holiday. The January 6th Commission bill (H.R. […]

Tags: Freedom of Information Act, Diversity and Inclusion, US Capitol Police, January 6, Earmarks, NDAA, Proxy Voting

Accountability and Oversight, Appropriations, Congressional Security, Congressional Workplace Fairness and Inclusion, Continuity and Resiliency, Modernization, First Branch Forecast, Blog posts

Forecast for May 17, 2021

By DanielSchuman May 17, 2021 18 min read

Welcome to the First Branch Forecast, your weekly look into the Legislative branch and government transparency. Encourage your colleagues to subscribe here. TOP LINE Both chambers are in session this week and getting down to business: A bill providing for a January 6th Commission likely will be considered in the House this week. The legislation, introduced by […]

Tags: Diversity and Inclusion, US Capitol Police, January 6, Earmarks, Proxy Voting

Accountability and Oversight, Appropriations, Congressional Security, Congressional Workplace Fairness and Inclusion, Modernization, Appropriation Tracking, First Branch Forecast, Blog posts

Forecast for May 3, 2021

By DanielSchuman May 3, 2021 24 min read

Welcome to the First Branch Forecast, your weekly look into the Legislative branch and government transparency. We had thought last week would be quiet, but we were wrong. Was this email forwarded to you? Subscribe here. TOP LINE Calendar. The Senate is out this week and the House is holding a committee work week, which means […]

Tags: Staff Pay, January 6, MRA, Cybersecurity

Accountability and Oversight, Appropriations, Advocacy, Blog posts

Video: Demand Progress Webinar on FY 2022 Appropriations Public Witness Testimony

By DanielSchuman April 30, 2021 2 min read

Demand Progress hosted a webinar on Friday, April 30 to hear from presenters who otherwise would have testified in person before the appropriations subcommittees on improving government transparency and accountability. This webinar was moderated by Taylor J. Swift, policy advisor for Demand Progress. The timestamps for each presenter are included below.

4.21.21

Orgs Call on the Senate Judiciary Committee to Hold a Hearing on Freedom of Information Act

Accountability and Oversight, Appropriations, Congressional Security, Ethics and Influence, Modernization, Appropriation Tracking, First Branch Forecast, Blog posts

Forecast for April 12, 2021

By DanielSchuman April 12, 2021 11 min read

Welcome to the First Branch Forecast, your weekly look into the Legislative branch and government transparency. (Was this email forwarded to you? Subscribe here.) TOP LINE Welcome back, Congress. Send me a final out-of-office email so that I know you missed me. Biden’s $1.5 trillion skinny budget was finally submitted to Congress on Friday. It would increase […]

Tags: US Capitol Police, SCOTUS, Congressional Ops

4.7.21

Orgs Call on AG Garland to Issue a Memo on Agency Compliance with Freedom of Information Act

Accountability and Oversight, Appropriations, Continuity and Resiliency, Ethics and Influence, First Branch Forecast, Blog posts

Forecast for March 22, 2021

By DanielSchuman March 22, 2021 21 min read

Welcome to the First Branch Forecast, your weekly look into the Legislative branch and government transparency. (Was this email forwarded to you? Subscribe here.) TOP LINE The security supplemental funding bill could reach $2 billion, according to Billy House, and is intended to strengthen security at the Capitol and enhance member protection. To place this number in […]

Tags: Office of Legal Counsel, Staff Pay, Office of Congressional Ethics, US Capitol Police, SCOTUS, Earmarks, Legislation, Office of Congressional Workplace Rights, Cybersecurity, Proxy Voting

Accountability and Oversight, Appropriations, Congressional Security, Ethics and Influence, First Branch Forecast, Blog posts

Forecast for March 8, 2021

By DanielSchuman March 8, 2021 24 min read

Welcome to the First Branch Forecast, your weekly look into the Legislative branch and government transparency. (Was this email forwarded to you? Subscribe here.) THE TOP LINE General Honoré will brief Congress today in three closed meetings on his “Capitol Security Review” that was conducted out of public view over the last six weeks. The NYT published a […]

Tags: US Capitol Police, January 6, Office of Congressional Ethics, Foreign Lobbying, Staff Pay, Freedom of Information Act, Library of Congress, Congressional Research Service, Political Violence, War Powers

Forecast for June 14, 2021

Forecast for June 7, 2021

Forecast for June 1, 2021.

Forecast for May 24, 2021

Forecast for May 17, 2021

Forecast for May 3, 2021

Video: Demand Progress Webinar on FY 2022 Appropriations Public Witness Testimony

Orgs Call on the Senate Judiciary Committee to Hold a Hearing on Freedom of Information Act

Forecast for April 12, 2021

Orgs Call on AG Garland to Issue a Memo on Agency Compliance with Freedom of Information Act

Forecast for March 22, 2021

Forecast for March 8, 2021

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