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Special Forecast for August 13, 2021

By DanielSchuman August 13, 2021 8 min read

Welcome to the First Branch Forecast, your weekly look into the Legislative branch and government transparency. No, it’s not Monday, but with the Congress away, it seemed best to send this lest we get inundated with out-of-office responses. We’re planning on taking a little break with Congress out unless something major happens… or we get bored. […]

Tags: Staff Pay, Diversity and Inclusion, January 6

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

Forecast for August 9, 2021

By DanielSchuman August 9, 2021 14 min read

Welcome to the First Branch Forecast, your weekly look into the Legislative branch and government transparency. Subscribe here. A preview of coming distractions: if Congress takes a break, we may take one, too. Wouldn’t that be nice. THE TOP LINE Members of Congress can force policy change without moving a bill. Rep. Bush made that clear last week in […]

Tags: US Capitol Police, January 6, debt limit, Earmarks

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

Forecast for August 2, 2021

By DanielSchuman August 2, 2021 15 min read

Welcome to the First Branch Forecast, your weekly look into the Legislative branch and government transparency. Subscribe here. THE TOP LINE Congress enacted the Security supplemental with a 98-0 vote in the Senate, a 416-11 vote in the House, and a signature from the President. Six House Dems voted no. (The amended bill text is here.)The $2.1 billion bill includes significant non-congressionally related funds, such […]

Tags: Freedom of Information Act, Access to Congressionally Mandated Reports Act, Diversity and Inclusion, US Capitol Police, January 6, Political Violence, Proxy Voting

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

Forecast for July 19, 2021

By DanielSchuman July 19, 2021 10 min read

Welcome to the First Branch Forecast, your weekly look into the Legislative branch and government transparency. The House and Senate are holding floor votes this week; the House is currently scheduled to go into recess in two weeks and the Senate is scheduled to go into recess in three. We shall see. Subscribe here. THE TOP LINE […]

Tags: Office of Legal Counsel, Government Accountability Office, Diversity and Inclusion, Office of Congressional Ethics, Congressional Data Task Force, White Supremacy, Political Violence

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

Forecast for July 12, 2021

By DanielSchuman July 12, 2021 10 min read

Welcome to the First Branch Forecast, your weekly look into the Legislative branch and government transparency. This week’s newsletter is shorter than most; enjoy it while it lasts. You can subscribe here. The Senate is in; it’s a committee work week for the House. THE TOP LINE Follow the money. House Appropriators released text for the four […]

Tags: US Capitol Police, January 6, Congressional Data Task Force

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

Forecast for July 6, 2021

By DanielSchuman July 6, 2021 18 min read

Welcome to the First Branch Forecast, your weekly look into the Legislative branch and government transparency. Subscribe here. We hope you had a wonderful July 4th weekend. THE TOP LINE House Appropriations favorably reported six of the twelve spending bills, including a Legislative Branch bill and report that included desperately and long overdue investments in the Legislative Branch, […]

Tags: Diversity and Inclusion, Proxy Voting, Whistleblower Protections, Legislation, White Supremacy, Earmarks, Congressional Data Task Force, SCOTUS, January 6, Inspector General, Library of Congress

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

Forecast for June 28, 2021

By DanielSchuman June 28, 2021 26 min read

Welcome to the First Branch Forecast, your weekly look into the Legislative branch and government transparency. Subscribe here. The Senate is in recess for two weeks until July 12th. The House is in session this week but prepping for the 4th of July holiday; it returns for a committee work week on July 12th and floor votes […]

Tags: Office of Legal Counsel, Staff Pay, US Capitol Police, January 6, Congressional Data Task Force, Leg Support Agencies, War Powers, Access to Court Proceedings

Accountability and Oversight, Appropriations, Congressional Security, Continuity and Resiliency, Ethics and Influence, Modernization, Appropriation Tracking, First Branch Forecast, Blog posts

Forecast for June 21, 2021

By DanielSchuman June 21, 2021 24 min read

Welcome to the First Branch Forecast, your weekly look into the Legislative branch and government transparency. Subscribe here. We hope you had a good Juneteenth holiday weekend. The Senate is back on Monday and the House is back on Tuesday. THE TOP LINE Follow the money. The House deemed top line discretionary spending as part of an unrelated bill […]

Tags: Office of Congressional Ethics, War Powers, Political Violence, Whistleblower Protections, MRA, January 6, US Capitol Police, Staff Pay, Office of Legal Counsel

Accountability and Oversight, AI and Emerging Technology, Appropriations, Congressional Security, Continuity and Resiliency, Ethics and Influence, Modernization, Appropriation Tracking, First Branch Forecast, Blog posts

Forecast for June 1, 2021.

By DanielSchuman June 1, 2021 21 min read

Bring on the out-of-office responses and welcome to this recess edition of the First Branch Forecast, where we look into the Legislative branch and government transparency. Now, you’ll have time enough at last to encourage your colleagues to subscribe here. TOP LINE The forgotten art of congressional oversight is the topic of a fantastic, extensive article by the American Prospect’s […]

Tags: Office of Legal Counsel, January 6, Congressional Data, Office of Congressional Workplace Rights

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

Forecast for May 24, 2021

By DanielSchuman May 24, 2021 19 min read

Welcome to the First Branch Forecast, your weekly look into the Legislative branch and government transparency. Encourage your colleagues to subscribe here. TOP LINE The House is holding a committee work week and the Senate is in. Next week, both chambers will be out to coincide with the Memorial Day holiday. The January 6th Commission bill (H.R. […]

Tags: Freedom of Information Act, Diversity and Inclusion, US Capitol Police, January 6, Earmarks, NDAA, Proxy Voting

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

Forecast for April 26, 2021

By DanielSchuman April 26, 2021 14 min read

Welcome to the First Branch Forecast, your weekly look into the Legislative branch and government transparency. Was this email forwarded to you? Subscribe here. TOP LINE Staffers on Capitol Hill continue to bear the trauma and burn out from working through a pandemic, the 2020 election, and the insurrection, leading many staff to leave their jobs, according to Business […]

Tags: Staff Pay, Office of Congressional Ethics, US Capitol Police, January 6, Earmarks, Political Violence, Cybersecurity

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

Forecast for April 12, 2021

By DanielSchuman April 12, 2021 11 min read

Welcome to the First Branch Forecast, your weekly look into the Legislative branch and government transparency. (Was this email forwarded to you? Subscribe here.) TOP LINE Welcome back, Congress. Send me a final out-of-office email so that I know you missed me. Biden’s $1.5 trillion skinny budget was finally submitted to Congress on Friday. It would increase […]

Tags: US Capitol Police, SCOTUS, Congressional Ops

Special Forecast for August 13, 2021

Forecast for August 9, 2021

Forecast for August 2, 2021

Forecast for July 19, 2021

Forecast for July 12, 2021

Forecast for July 6, 2021

Forecast for June 28, 2021

Forecast for June 21, 2021

Forecast for June 1, 2021.

Forecast for May 24, 2021

Forecast for April 26, 2021

Forecast for April 12, 2021

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