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

First Branch Forecast for February 14, 2022

By DanielSchuman February 14, 2022 19 min read

Welcome‌ ‌to‌ ‌the‌ ‌First‌ ‌Branch‌ ‌Forecast,‌ ‌your‌ ‌regular‌ ‌look‌ ‌into‌ ‌the‌ ‌Legislative‌ ‌branch‌ ‌and‌ government ‌transparency.‌ ‌Tell ‌your‌ ‌friends‌ ‌to‌ subscribe. TOP LINE Schedule. The Senate is in this week; the House has a committee workweek. Both are on recess next week. The committee calendar is light, but I’ll be busy. On Thursday the House Admin Committee will […]

Tags: Congressional Unionization

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

First Branch Forecast for February 7, 2022: Legitimate political discourse

By DanielSchuman February 7, 2022 10 min read

Welcome‌ ‌to‌ ‌the‌ ‌First‌ ‌Branch‌ ‌Forecast,‌ ‌your‌ ‌regular‌ ‌look‌ ‌into‌ ‌the‌ ‌Legislative‌ ‌branch‌ ‌and‌ government ‌transparency.‌ ‌Tell ‌your‌ ‌friends‌ ‌to‌ subscribe. TOP LINE This week. The House is scheduled to be in from Monday to Wednesday, with a light legislative calendar that might get heavier to address the FY 2022 appropriations bill and unionization in the House. After […]

Tags: Office of Legal Counsel, Congressional Unionization

Congressional Security, Ethics and Influence, First Branch Forecast, Blog posts

First Branch Forecast for January 18, 2022: Fire, Freedom, and Funds

By DanielSchuman January 18, 2022 16 min read

Welcome‌ ‌to‌ ‌the‌ ‌First‌ ‌Branch‌ ‌Forecast,‌ ‌your‌ ‌regular‌ ‌look‌ ‌into‌ ‌the‌ ‌Legislative‌ ‌branch‌ ‌and‌ government ‌transparency.‌ ‌Tell ‌your‌ ‌friends‌ ‌to‌ subscribe. THE TOP LINE It’s Tuesday, Lemon. The House is back today after the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday with an apparently light floor schedule; the Senate canceled recess to try again to move voting rights […]

Tags: January 6, congressional staff

Ethics and Influence, First Branch Forecast, Blog posts

First Branch Forecast for January 3, 2022: Trump Insurrection Redux

By DanielSchuman January 3, 2022 8 min read

Welcome‌ ‌to‌ ‌the‌ ‌First‌ ‌Branch‌ ‌Forecast,‌ ‌your‌ ‌regular‌ ‌look‌ ‌into‌ ‌the‌ ‌Legislative‌ ‌branch‌ ‌and‌ government ‌transparency.‌ ‌Tell ‌your‌ ‌friends‌ ‌to‌ subscribe. January’s 6th’s anniversary is this Thursday and so far no one of significance has been held accountable for the Trump insurrection, Republicans blocked a 9/11 style commission, the Select Committee will turn into a […]

Tags: SCOTUS, January 6, US Capitol Police

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

First Branch Forecast: ModCom, PODA, PACER, + USCP 12/13/2021

By DanielSchuman December 13, 2021 19 min read

Welcome‌ ‌to‌ ‌the‌ ‌First‌ ‌Branch‌ ‌Forecast,‌ ‌your‌ ‌regular‌ ‌look‌ ‌into‌ ‌the‌ ‌Legislative‌ ‌branch‌ ‌and‌ government ‌transparency.‌ ‌Tell ‌your‌ ‌friends‌ ‌to‌ subscribe. THE TOP LINE Bonus week. The Senate is in today; the House is in tomorrow, with the ominous last vote predicted at “???” We’ll see both chambers vote to raise the vestigial debt ceiling […]

Tags: Congressional Research Service, Freedom of Information Act, Staff Clearances, Foreign Lobbying, US Capitol Police, NDAA

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

First Branch Forecast: Police, PODA, and the Courts 12/06/2021

By DanielSchuman December 6, 2021 15 min read

Welcome to the First Branch Forecast, your regular look into the Legislative branch and government transparency. Tell your friends to subscribe. THE TOP LINE This week: the Senate is in today; the House is in on Tuesday. Congress cleared a CR that funds the government through February 18th so this week expect a debt limit vote, NDAA consideration, and […]

Tags: Staff Clearances, US Capitol Police, Staff Pay

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

First Branch Forecast: Better Later Than Never– What’s In the Approps Bills? (Nov. 2, 2021)

By DanielSchuman November 2, 2021 12 min read

Welcome‌ ‌to‌ ‌the‌ ‌First‌ ‌Branch‌ ‌Forecast,‌ ‌your‌ ‌regular‌ ‌look‌ ‌into‌ ‌the‌ ‌Legislative‌ ‌branch‌ ‌and‌ ‌government ‌ ‌transparency.‌ ‌Tell ‌your‌ ‌friends‌ ‌to‌ subscribe. THE TOP LINE Notable events this week: Strengthening Congressional Oversight Capacity is the focus of a ModCom hearing on Thursday; ACMRA and several IG bills get a HSGAC mark-up on Wednesday; and save the date for next Monday’s lightning […]

Tags: January 6, US Capitol Police, Office of Congressional Ethics, Access to Congressionally Mandated Reports Act

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

Forecast for October 12, 2021

By DanielSchuman October 12, 2021 19 min read

Welcome to the First Branch Forecast, your regular look into the Legislative branch and government transparency. Subscribe here. THE TOP LINE The House will be back briefly on Tuesday to vote to raise the debt ceiling. With the quick turn-around during a committee work week, how many members will vote by proxy? Honestly, voting remotely seems appropriate […]

Tags: debt limit, SCOTUS, January 6, Inspector General, Freedom of Information Act, US Capitol Police

Ethics and Influence, Modernization, First Branch Forecast, Blog posts

Forecast for October 4, 2021

By DanielSchuman October 4, 2021 17 min read

Welcome to the First Branch Forecast, your regular look into the Legislative branch and government transparency. Subscribe here. Congress passed the stopgap funding bill on September 30, temporarily averting a government shutdown. While in theory there will be no House floor votes until the 19th and the next two weeks are committee work weeks, with the debt […]

Tags: Government Accountability Office, Office of Legal Counsel, Congressional Research Service, Inspector General, Foreign Lobbying, debt limit, Leg Support Agencies

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

Forecast for September 20, 2021

By DanielSchuman September 20, 2021 15 min read

Welcome to the First Branch Forecast, your regular look into the Legislative branch and government transparency. Subscribe here. THE TOP LINE The upcoming 10 days are going to be crazy, but the tick-tock is adequately covered by other newsletters so you don’t need it from us. Here is this week’s House floor calendar, the Senate floor schedule, the combined committee […]

Tags: Office of Congressional Ethics, US Capitol Police, January 6, debt limit, NDAA, Whistleblower Protections, Foreign Lobbying

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

Forecast for September 13, 2021

By DanielSchuman September 13, 2021 13 min read

Welcome to the First Branch Forecast, your regular look into the Legislative branch and government transparency. Subscribe here. THE TOP LINE The fence is (almost certainly) coming back around the Capitol building and Supreme Court in anticipation of an event featuring Trump insurrectionists and their allies. Representatives of white supremacist groups who were promoting the “rally,” such as the Proud Boys […]

Tags: Staff Pay, Congressional Unionization, House Ethics Committee, US Capitol Police, January 6

Congressional Security, Ethics and Influence, First Branch Forecast, Blog posts

Forecast for August 27, 2021

By DanielSchuman August 27, 2021 7 min read

Welcome to the First Branch Forecast, your regular look into the Legislative branch and government transparency. This is an unusual Friday edition; we are hoping to not publish next week. Subscribe here. THE TOP LINEThe House returns for a committee work week on Tuesday; the Senate is out until September 13th.The House’s National Defense Authorization […]

Tags: House Ethics Committee, Office of Congressional Ethics, US Capitol Police, January 6, Political Violence

First Branch Forecast for February 14, 2022

First Branch Forecast for February 7, 2022: Legitimate political discourse

First Branch Forecast for January 18, 2022: Fire, Freedom, and Funds

First Branch Forecast for January 3, 2022: Trump Insurrection Redux

First Branch Forecast: ModCom, PODA, PACER, + USCP 12/13/2021

First Branch Forecast: Police, PODA, and the Courts 12/06/2021

First Branch Forecast: Better Later Than Never– What’s In the Approps Bills? (Nov. 2, 2021)

Forecast for October 12, 2021

Forecast for October 4, 2021

Forecast for September 20, 2021

Forecast for September 13, 2021

Forecast for August 27, 2021

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