Modernization

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

Forecast for March 9, 2020.

By DanielSchuman March 9, 2020 11 min read

TOP LINE There’s more news than can fit in our little newsletter. The House Rules Committee did its part to encourage the Article I Renaissance (to steal a phrase from Lorelei Kelly) with a nearly four-hour hearing spiced with thoughtful expert testimony examining how Congress’ role has been diminished over decades and how to reassert congressional authority. (How, […]

Tags: Freedom of Information Act, Government Accountability Office, Staff Pay, SCOTUS, Surveillance, Leg Support Agencies, War Powers, Government Publishing Office

Appropriations, Modernization, Blog posts, Reports & Analysis

Recap of the House Officers’ FY 2021 Appropriations Request

By DanielSchuman March 6, 2020 2 min read

Last week House Officers—the House Clerk, Sergeant at Arms and Chief Admin Officer—testified before the House Appropriations Legislative Branch Subcommittee. These officers are responsible for floor and committee proceedings, security and the internal workings of the House. They do the tough behind the scenes work that keeps Congress going. Not sure what their duties entail? We’ve […]

Tags: House, Congressional Ops, Leg Support Agencies

Accountability and Oversight, AI and Emerging Technology, Appropriations, Ethics and Influence, Modernization, First Branch Forecast, Blog posts

Forecast for March 2, 2020.

By DanielSchuman March 2, 2020 13 min read

ON YOUR RADAR Approps season is firing on all cylinders, with many Members schedules double- or triple-booked. It’s running us ragged, too. (At least we can help you keep track of testimony deadlines.) Maybe Congress should take a real look at fixing its hearing schedule? Anyway— Leg Branch heard testimony from LOC and GAO this past week, and there’s news […]

Tags: Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress, Government Accountability Office, Surveillance, Science & Tech, Leg Support Agencies, Office of Congressional Workplace Rights, Cybersecurity

Modernization, Blog posts, Reports & Analysis

Staffers Form Bipartisan Association Aiming to Modernize Congress

By DanielSchuman February 27, 2020 2 min read

A new staff association is looking at ways to reform the staff workplace from the inside. The Modernization Staff Association (MSA) is a bipartisan group of staffers whose goal is to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of Congressional staff by modernizing systems that affect their day-to-day operations. The association held its latest meeting last week, […]

Tags: House, Congressional Ops, congressional staff

Ethics and Influence, Modernization, Rules, Blog posts, Reports & Analysis

Reforms Included in the House Rules for the 116th Congress

By DanielSchuman February 20, 2020 7 min read

At the beginning of each Congress, House lawmakers adopt rules that will govern the state of play for both sessions of that Congress. The rules of the House of Representatives are a chance for the majority to set priorities as well as implement operational and institutional reforms. We made a number of reform recommendations — […]

Tags: House, Congressional Ops

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

Forecast For February 10, 2020.

By DanielSchuman February 10, 2020 8 min read

ON YOUR RADAR Shedding light on the Justice Department’s OLC Opinions is the topic of today’s Transparency Caucus briefing, set for 2pm in 1310 Longworth. RSVP to Hannah.Mansbach@mail.house.gov. Here’s why we think OLC opinion transparency is important plus a refresher on legislative efforts concerning OLC opinions. Also, read Mike Stern’s latest on OLC. Oversight hearings […]

Tags: US Capitol Police, War Powers, Political Violence, Budget, Leg Support Agencies, Science & Tech, Earmarks, Foreign Lobbying, Staff Clearances, Congressional Research Service, Office of Legal Counsel

Accountability and Oversight, Congressional Workplace Fairness and Inclusion, Ethics and Influence, Modernization, Uncategorized, Blog posts

Forecast For February 3, 2020.

By DanielSchuman February 3, 2020 10 min read

THE TOP LINE Congress’s science & tech policy agency was defunded in the 90s; this week, Harvard’s Ash Center published Zach Graves and my road map to building a modern congressional technology assessment office. (More below) The House moved to reassert congressional war powers authority when it passed two measures that limits the spending of money on war with […]

Tags: Staff Pay, Department of Justice, MRA, Science & Tech, Whistleblower Protections, War Powers

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

Forecast for January 27, 2020.

By DanielSchuman January 27, 2020 9 min read

THE TOP LINE The “Senate is hiding from all of us,” writes longtime hill reporter Kathy Kiely, who said “the current security scheme appears designed to protect lawmakers from reporters’ questions.” The restrictions on press access, which we oppose, are a black eye on the Senate and a provocation for future restrictions. Care about leg branch funding? We’ve […]

Tags: Office of Legal Counsel, Earmarks, Science & Tech, Whistleblower Protections, War Powers

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

Forecast for January 21, 2020.

By DanielSchuman January 21, 2020 12 min read

House Members are in their districts this week but the Senate is in for impeachment trial proceedings, which start today. Senators are the deciders, but they are not jurors. Before we start, it’s worth rereading MLK’s letter from a Birmingham jail. I found this section resonant: “I have tried to make clear that it is wrong to use immoral means […]

Tags: Office of Legal Counsel, Freedom of Information Act, Government Accountability Office, Staff Pay, Remote Voting, Earmarks, War Powers, press freedom

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

Forecast for January 6, 2020.

By DanielSchuman January 6, 2020 16 min read

Welcome back. An astonishing amount has happened over the break, so let’s dive back in. THE TOP LINE The US assassinated Iranian Maj. Gen Qassem Soleimani in what may be a violation of US and international law — in flagrant violation of Congress’s war powers. Much more on this below in the section entitled “Wag the […]

Tags: Access to Congressionally Mandated Reports Act, Government Accountability Office, SCOTUS, Office of Congressional Workplace Rights, Whistleblower Protections, War Powers

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

Forecast for December 23, 2019

By DanielSchuman December 23, 2019 14 min read

Happy Holidays Everyone. 2019 has been a year like no other. Thank you for staying with us throughout it all. We’re going to take a week off and will be back in the new year. Go easy on us for this week’s newsletter. 🙂

Tags: Freedom of Information Act, SCOTUS, NDAA, Access to Court Proceedings

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

Forecast for December 16, 2019

By DanielSchuman December 16, 2019 12 min read

TOP LINE It’s your jam. For weeks, we’ve been gearing up for leadership to jam members with tons of major votes as they head out the door. This week we will see at least two appropriations minibuses (likely Tuesday in the House), impeachment (Wednesday in the House), USCMA (i.e. NAFTA v2, likely on Thursday), a long […]

Tags: Freedom of Information Act, Staff Pay, House Ethics Committee, Office of Congressional Ethics, SCOTUS, NDAA

Forecast for March 9, 2020.

Recap of the House Officers’ FY 2021 Appropriations Request

Forecast for March 2, 2020.

Staffers Form Bipartisan Association Aiming to Modernize Congress

Reforms Included in the House Rules for the 116th Congress

Forecast For February 10, 2020.

Forecast For February 3, 2020.

Forecast for January 27, 2020.

Forecast for January 21, 2020.

Forecast for January 6, 2020.

Forecast for December 23, 2019

Forecast for December 16, 2019

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