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. 🙂
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 […]
Welcome to this week’s abbreviated First Branch Forecast. THIS WEEK • Considering the Impeachment Report: H. Intel Cmte hearing Tuesday at 6. • Grounds for Impeachment: H. Judiciary Cmte hearing Wednesday at 10. • Science and Technology Advice for Congress: Science Cmte hearing Thursday at 10. • Rules and Procedures in the House of Representatives: Fix Congress Cmte hearing Thursday at 2. We […]
Take a break from wall-to-wall impeachment coverage and read about what else is happening in today’s First Branch Forecast. TOP LINE What’s the best way for Congress to strengthen its tech policy chops? The National Academy of Public Administration issued their recommendations in a new report, “Science and Technology Policy Assessment: A Congressionally Directed Review.” Experts […]
PRE-RAMBLE With impeachment and the election season heating up, I want to talk directly about this newsletter. We focus on building a strong, modern, resilient Congress and stay away from items that are merely partisan or about political advantage. But questions arising from the operation of the legislative branch have become closely intertwined with the […]
THE TOP LINE It’s a little off topic, but there is legislation to allow states to elect to observe daylight savings time for the duration of the year. It’s HR 1601 and has 13 co-sponsors (from both parties). Just saying. APPROPRIATIONS Another continuing resolution seems almost inevitable to keep the government open beyond Thanksgiving, when the current CR runs out, […]
CONGRESS IN BRIEF Government funding runs out by Thanksgiving and lawmakers still haven’t agreed on 302(b) allocations. The Senate will take up a package of four “non-controversial” spending bills this week (Ag, CJS, Interior & Transportation), but there’s no consensus on top line numbers. And now there’s talk about another CR until March — which keeps everyone frozen […]
You may have heard of the Congressional Budget Office, the legislative branch agency tasked with advising Congress on the potential economic impact of legislation. In formulating these analyses, CBO may rely on outside experts. The agency has three panels of advisers (Economic, Health, and Health Insurance) composed of experts from academia, the private sector, and […]
Welcome back. The next recess is Nov. 4 for the House and Nov. 25 for the Senate. Buckle up. CONGRESS IN BRIEF Approps count-down. The CR ends the week before Thanksgiving—maybe there will be another CR to Christmas, or a full year CR, or a shutdown. I suspect House Approps Chair Nita Lowey, who announced she […]
This week’s First Branch Forecast is a big one, so here’s your guide to what’s inside: • Who’s the turkey now? The CR sets up a pre-Turkey-day approps showdown; meanwhile, the Fix Congress committee held a hearing on fixing the budget process. • Congress’s power of the purse is its greatest weapon against executive overreach; more below on how the […]
Recess is over, class is back in session. Let’s get caught up. CONGRESS IN BRIEF • Lawmakers have 3 weeks until the start of FY 2020, and both chambers must pass 12 spending bills by October 1. House Majority Leader Hoyer says the House will vote on short-term spending agreements (CRs) next week to keep the lights […]
The House and Senate are out but we’ve got a brief First Branch Forecast for you to hold you over. Here’s what you need to know: ON YOUR RADAR Acting AOC is out. The Acting Architect of the Capitol’s resignation was effective on Saturday (surprise?!) and Tom Carroll is the new Acting Architectwhile the search for a permanent […]