Modernization

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

Forecast for January 7, 2019. All That’s Old Is New Again.

By DanielSchuman January 7, 2019 12 min read

THE TOP LINE The House adopted the most transparent and open rules in my lifetime and by a huge bipartisan majority created a Select Committee on Modernizing Congress. There was a little kerfuffle over Pay-Go and a few surprise votes. More below. The shutdown continues even as the House passed two approps bills that Sen. McConnell refused to bring […]

Tags: Congressional Research Service, Diversity and Inclusion, House Ethics Committee, Trump Taxes, Whistleblower Protections, Government Publishing Office

Modernization, Rules, First Branch Forecast, Blog posts

Forecast for December 31, 2018. Party Like It’s 2019.

By DanielSchuman December 31, 2018 8 min read

TOP LINE And we’re (almost) back. The 116th Congress starts on Thursday. It’s common for members to introduce legislation on the first day (237 bills were introduced in the House on day one in the 115th). But — and this is unusual timing — it looks like the House will pass an appropriations bill to end the partial government shutdown on […]

Tags: Science & Tech, Caucus Rules

AI and Emerging Technology, Modernization, First Branch Forecast, Blog posts

Forecast for November 5, 2018. Congressional Tech Gets an Upgrade.

By DanielSchuman November 5, 2018 6 min read

THE TOP LINE It’d be great if Tuesday were a federal holiday. Just saying. While we’re at it, how about ending daylight savings time? Happy Monday from the only congressional newsletter not talking about polling.

Tags: Congressional Data Task Force, White Supremacy, Data, Leadership, Cybersecurity

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

Forecast for October 22, 2018. The Tale of Congress’s Incapacity, Plus Judiciary Moves Nominees in Recess.

By DanielSchuman October 22, 2018 8 min read

THE TOP LINE Decades of institutional deterioration has left lawmakers in the dark on technology. The Lincoln Network’s Zach Graves told the tale in ten charts. (We helped). Bookmark it and visit Future Congress for more. The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced six judicial nominations while the Senate was in recess in a further destruction of institutional norms. Nomination hearings during recess […]

Tags: Inspector General, Freedom of Information Act, US Capitol Police, Earmarks, Whistleblower Protections, Cybersecurity, press freedom

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

Forecast for October 9, 2018. FutureCongress, Plus “Popular Bills” Can Be Substantive, Too.

By DanielSchuman October 9, 2018 9 min read

LEGISLATIVE CAPACITY That Congress’s tech savvy hasn’t kept up with the times isn’t exactly breaking news, but we should highlight that 20 bipartisan advocacy groups led by Demand Progress and the Lincoln Network launched Future Congress this past week, a resource hub for efforts to improve science and technology expertise in the legislative branch. Do 218 co-sponsors make a difference […]

Tags: Office of Legal Counsel, Library of Congress, Freedom of Information Act, US Capitol Police, White Supremacy, Trump Taxes, social media, Political Violence, Cybersecurity

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

Forecast for October 1, 2018. Briefing on House and Party Rules, Plus the Launch of TechCongress.

By DanielSchuman October 1, 2018 8 min read

THE TOP LINE On Thursday we briefed congressional staff on House, committee, and caucus reform proposals with experts from Issue One, Georgetown, and the Brookings Institution. Incidentally, party rules are very important: for example, the earmark ban and chairman term limits are both Republican party rules. Learn more about how we’d make the House work better in our […]

Tags: Science & Tech, Legislation

AI and Emerging Technology, Appropriations, Congressional Security, Ethics and Influence, Modernization, Rules, First Branch Forecast

Forecast for September 24, 2018. Congress’ Staff Capacity Problem, Plus the Library of Congress Started Publishing CRS Reports.

By DanielSchuman September 24, 2018 8 min read

THE TOP LINE Rules reform is the topic of a Congressional Transparency Caucus event on Thursday at 2 in Rayburn 2456 entitled “Playing by the House Rules.” RSVP here. Rep. Quigley will make opening remarks. Panelists include Daniel Schuman, Demand Progress; Meredith McGehee, Issue One; Matt Glassman, GAI at Georgetown; Molly Reynolds, Brookings Institution. For more, we […]

Tags: Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress, Inspector General, Foreign Lobbying, Caucus Rules, Cybersecurity, press freedom

Accountability and Oversight, Modernization, Blog posts, Reports & Analysis

Coming Soon: A Unified Congressional Meetings Calendar

By DanielSchuman September 23, 2018 1 min read

Unnoticed elsewhere but celebrated here, the Library of Congress must update its website to include a unified calendar for Senate and House of Representatives committee hearings and markups. The deadline is 90 days after enactment of the Legislative Branch Appropriations bill, which was on September 21, which means it must be up by Friday, December […]

Tags: Congressional Ops

Accountability and Oversight, AI and Emerging Technology, Modernization, Blog posts, Reports & Analysis

Finally, The Constitution (Annotated) In Your Virtual Pocket

By DanielSchuman September 17, 2018 3 min read

On the 231st anniversary of the delegates to the Constitutional Convention signing the U.S. Constitution, we’re pleased to share the good news that Cornell’s Legal Information Institute (LII) will today publish Congress’s legal treatise that explains how the Supreme Court interprets the Constitution. The treatise, known as the Constitution Annotated, is prepared by the Library of Congress’s […]

Tags: Leg Support Agencies

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

Forecast for August 27, 2018. Rest in Peace Senator John McCain.

By DanielSchuman August 27, 2018 16 min read

TOP LINE Senator John McCain has died. We wish him fair winds and following seas and offer condolences to his family. — McCain Senate Office Building? In his tweets commemorating the life of Sen. McCain, Sen. Schumer said he would introduce a resolution to rename the Russell Senate Office Building after McCain. Richard Russell was a Democratic lion of […]

Tags: Staff Pay, Science & Tech, Legislation, Transparency in Government Act

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

Forecast for August 13, 2018. While #MeToo Stalls in Congress, SCOTUS Nomination Hearings Move Forward.

By DanielSchuman August 13, 2018 6 min read

THE TOP LINE Rep. Collins was arrested for insider trading every news outlet on earth reported, but that’s not the most interesting part. Multiple news outlets described what happened as Speaker Ryan stripping Collins of his committee membership. He didn’t. Curious? Read my dive into the Speaker’s power to police member behavior and what that means for policy dissenters. […]

Tags: SCOTUS, Science & Tech, press freedom, white

AI and Emerging Technology, Appropriations, Congressional Workplace Fairness and Inclusion, Ethics and Influence, Modernization, First Branch Forecast, Blog posts

Forecast for July 30, 2018. Congressional Pay Study, plus Congress’ Official Intranet, DemCom, is New and Improved.

By DanielSchuman July 30, 2018 10 min read

TOP LINE — Appropriations will continue to dominate Congressional attention even as the House goes into recess, with another minibus teed up in the Senate this week and President Trump threatening to shut down the government. The House has scheduled 19 sessions days before the November election; only 11 before the end of the fiscal […]

Tags: Staff Pay, Diversity and Inclusion, PRESS Act, Legislation, social media, press freedom

Forecast for January 7, 2019. All That’s Old Is New Again.

Forecast for December 31, 2018. Party Like It’s 2019.

Forecast for November 5, 2018. Congressional Tech Gets an Upgrade.

Forecast for October 22, 2018. The Tale of Congress’s Incapacity, Plus Judiciary Moves Nominees in Recess.

Forecast for October 1, 2018. Briefing on House and Party Rules, Plus the Launch of TechCongress.

Forecast for September 24, 2018. Congress’ Staff Capacity Problem, Plus the Library of Congress Started Publishing CRS Reports.

Coming Soon: A Unified Congressional Meetings Calendar

Finally, The Constitution (Annotated) In Your Virtual Pocket

Forecast for August 27, 2018. Rest in Peace Senator John McCain.

Forecast for August 13, 2018. While #MeToo Stalls in Congress, SCOTUS Nomination Hearings Move Forward.

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