Congressional Workplace Fairness and Inclusion

Congressional Workplace Fairness and Inclusion, Announcements and Statements, Advocacy, Announcements, Blog posts

Statement on House Staff Pay Floor Increase Going into Effect Sept. 1

By DanielSchuman August 31, 2022 1 min read

“At long last, no Member of the House of Representatives is permitted to pay their staff poverty wages. As of September 1, every staff person in the House of Representatives must be paid at least $45,000 a year, which meets the living wage in high cost Washington, DC,” said Daniel Schuman, policy director at Demand […]

Tags: congressional staff, House, Staff Pay

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

First Branch Forecast for August 29, 2022: Letter of Note

By DanielSchuman August 29, 2022 5 min read

TOP LINE This week, recess continues. Last week saw two big announcements from the White House: (1) the partial student loan forgiveness program, which incidentally could help 2,000 staffers (or more!) on the hill, and (2) making federally-funded research free and publicly available, which will improve the availability of information for policymaking deliberations. You didn’t ask us, but congressional […]

Tags: Whistleblower Protections, House Intern Resource Office

Congressional Security, Congressional Workplace Fairness and Inclusion, Continuity and Resiliency, First Branch Forecast, Blog posts

First Branch Forecast for August 15, 2022: A call to arms

By DanielSchuman August 15, 2022 6 min read

TOP LINE Recess. Barring emergencies, Congress is out until September. On Friday, the House passed the reconciliation package — the Inflation Reduction Act — which now goes to Pres. Biden for signature. The process by which this legislation was considered and enacted underscores the importance of allowing a bare majority to work its will and the […]

Tags: Proxy Voting, Cybersecurity, Political Violence, Staff Pay, Trump Taxes

Appropriations, Congressional Workplace Fairness and Inclusion, Ethics and Influence, First Branch Forecast, Blog posts

First Branch Forecast for August 8, 2022: It’s recess?

By DanielSchuman August 8, 2022 8 min read

TOP LINE This week. It’s recess-ish. The Senate passed the Inflation Reduction Act reconciliation package over the weekend and the House is expected to briefly reconvene on Friday, August 12 to pass that legislation and perhaps a few other bills. The events of the past week highlight that normal spending processes rarely go by the book; that ethics and […]

Tags: Congressional Unionization, ethics, debt limit, Earmarks, War Powers

Appropriations, Congressional Workplace Fairness and Inclusion, Modernization, Appropriation Tracking, Announcements, Blog posts, Reports & Analysis

Demand Progress Proposals Included in FY 2023 Senate Legislative Branch Appropriations Bills and Explanatory Statement

By DanielSchuman August 5, 2022 17 min read

On Thursday, July 28, 2022, Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Patrick Leahy published 12 appropriations bills and accompanying explanatory statements, including the FY 2023 Senate Legislative Branch Appropriations bill and explanatory statement. These measures will not go through the traditional hearing and mark-up process. The bill and explanatory statement are packed with good government reforms and […]

Tags: Appropriations, Staff Pay, Modernization, Senate, Diversity and Inclusion, Congressional Ops, Leg Support Agencies

Appropriations, Congressional Security, Congressional Workplace Fairness and Inclusion, Modernization, First Branch Forecast, Uncategorized, Blog posts

First Branch Forecast for August 1, 2022: Reconciliation

By DanielSchuman August 1, 2022 19 min read

TOP LINE This week. The House floor is closed until Sept.13 (with committee work starting on Sept. 6); the Senate is in for its last scheduled week until Sept. 6. The Senate will stick around until it passes the “Inflation Reduction Act,” AKA mini-reconciliation, timing depending on Democratic Members not testing positive for COVID; and the House is expected to return […]

Tags: Staff Pay, Diversity and Inclusion, factions, Legislative Branch, BillMap

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

First Branch Forecast for July 25, 2022: Après moi, le déluge

By DanielSchuman July 25, 2022 18 min read

TOP LINE This week. In the House, it’s the last week before summer recess. It’s also the Senate’s penultimate week before recess — though we’re seeing calls for both chambers to stay in session. The House will consider a huge semiconductor R&D bill and perhaps public safety legislation concerning firearms. Senate Democratic Appropriators may publish their approps bills. Expect […]

Tags: Staff Pay, Congressional Unionization, January 6, factions, House Digital Service

Congressional Workplace Fairness and Inclusion, Blog posts, Reports & Analysis

House Office Unionization Tracker

By DanielSchuman July 21, 2022 1 min read

Our continuously updated tracker lets you monitor the unionization movement in Congress, including which House offices are unionizing, which members of Congress supported the PRO Act and the resolution allowing House staff to collectively bargain without fear of retaliation, and more. View the tracker as a standalone spreadsheet.

Tags: Congressional Unionization

Congressional Workplace Fairness and Inclusion, Announcements and Statements, Advocacy, Announcements, Blog posts

Demand Progress Action and Congressional Progressive Staff Association Call on Senate Leadership to Increase Staff Pay Floor to $45,000

By DanielSchuman July 21, 2022 5 min read

The CPSA letter was signed by 150 current congressional staffers, while the letter led by the advocacy organization Demand Progress Action was signed by over 15 organizations. WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Congressional Progressive Staff Association (CPSA) and Demand Progress Action sent two letters to Senator Pro-Tempore Patrick Leahy and Senate Leadership calling for the […]

Tags: Staff Pay, Congressional Ops, congressional staff

7.21.22

Letter Calling on Senate Leadership to Increase Staff Pay Floor to $45,000

Appropriations, Congressional Security, Congressional Workplace Fairness and Inclusion, Ethics and Influence, Modernization, First Branch Forecast, Blog posts

First Branch Forecast for July 18, 2022: Accumulation of Facts

By DanielSchuman July 18, 2022 14 min read

TOP LINE Happy House Union Day to all those who celebrate! Today is the day House staff can join a labor union under protection of law. It’s a historic occasion a quarter-century in the making. And yet, some Senate staff cannot collectively bargain until the Senate approves regulations adopted by the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights and some joint […]

Tags: Office of Legal Counsel, Staff Pay, Congressional Unionization, Diversity and Inclusion, US Capitol Police, NDAA

Congressional Workplace Fairness and Inclusion, Announcements and Statements, Advocacy, Announcements

Statement on House Union Rules Taking Effect

By DanielSchuman July 18, 2022 1 min read

Today, the House is marking a major milestone that will forever change the rights of staff as recently-approved Office of Workplace Rights regulations permitting unionization go into effect. “Staff in the House of Representatives work long hours at low pay to meet the needs of the American people and we are pleased they will finally […]

Tags: Congressional Unionization, congressional staff

Congressional Workplace Fairness and Inclusion

Statement on House Staff Pay Floor Increase Going into Effect Sept. 1

First Branch Forecast for August 29, 2022: Letter of Note

First Branch Forecast for August 15, 2022: A call to arms

First Branch Forecast for August 8, 2022: It’s recess?

Demand Progress Proposals Included in FY 2023 Senate Legislative Branch Appropriations Bills and Explanatory Statement

First Branch Forecast for August 1, 2022: Reconciliation

First Branch Forecast for July 25, 2022: Après moi, le déluge

House Office Unionization Tracker

Demand Progress Action and Congressional Progressive Staff Association Call on Senate Leadership to Increase Staff Pay Floor to $45,000

Letter Calling on Senate Leadership to Increase Staff Pay Floor to $45,000

First Branch Forecast for July 18, 2022: Accumulation of Facts

Statement on House Union Rules Taking Effect

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