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

Forecast for November 25, 2019.

By DanielSchuman November 25, 2019 11 min read

TOP LINE With hours to spare lawmakers passed a short-term funding agreement to keep the government running through December 20th, but in doing so unnecessarily violated regular order and rammed through an unrelated authorization provision. Also, word is out the House and Senate reached an agreement on the 302(b)s, but we don’t know what the agreement is. […]

Tags: Inspector General, Government Accountability Office, US Capitol Police, SCOTUS, Surveillance, Science & Tech, Legislation, Transparency in Government Act, Political Violence

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

Forecast for November 4, 2019.

By DanielSchuman November 4, 2019 12 min read

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, […]

Tags: Congressional Research Service, US Capitol Police, Caucus Rules, Whistleblower Protections

Accountability and Oversight, Rules, First Branch Forecast, Blog posts

Forecast for August 5, 2019.

By DanielSchuman August 5, 2019 3 min read

The Senate and the House are out for recess but we are still in session. AT THE TOP Want to fix Congress? We’re hiring! We’re looking for a policy manager and a policy analyst to focus on strengthening Congress. Please apply or tell your friends! A beta whistleblower portal is live on Oversight.gov; it instructs whistleblowers regarding who to contact to blow the whistle or request […]

Tags: Caucus Rules, Whistleblower Protections

Appropriations, Rules, Blog posts, Reports & Analysis

Rule of Law(makers)

By DanielSchuman August 3, 2019 2 min read

We’ve previously written about the rules that rule the rules, which has to be one of the world’s wonkiest subjects. In short, each party in the House and Senate has rules that govern their conference or caucus, leading to different party rules for (1) House Democrats, (2) House Republicans, (3) Senate Democrats, and (4) Senate Republicans. […]

Tags: House, Senate, Congressional Ops

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

Forecast for July 29, 2019.

By DanielSchuman July 29, 2019 5 min read

The House is out for August recess; the Senate has one week to go. Here’s what you need to know for the week of July 29, 2019. SELECT COMMITTEE GRAND SLAM The Fix Congress Committee adopted two-dozen recommendations last week and also turned their May recommendations into H. Res 526. A super-majority of the committee is required to adopt recommendations; […]

Tags: Freedom of Information Act, debt limit, Science & Tech, Caucus Rules, Cybersecurity, Government Publishing Office

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

Forecast for February 19, 2019. Never Waste an Emergency

By DanielSchuman February 19, 2019 6 min read

THE HOUSE COMMITTEE TASKED WITH MODERNIZING CONGRESS has 12 newly appointed members, an initial $50,000 budget (through March), and less than one year to issue recommendations. There’s little doubt that Congress must invest in its own brain power and modernize its technology. The select committee isn’t Congress’s only hope, as the oversight committees (House Admin + Senate Rules) and leg branch […]

Tags: Access to Congressionally Mandated Reports Act, Staff Pay, US Capitol Police, Earmarks, White Supremacy, Legislation, Office of Congressional Workplace Rights, Caucus Rules, press freedom

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

Forecast for February 4, 2019. Executive Time.

By DanielSchuman February 4, 2019 9 min read

THE TOP LINE H.R. 1, the pro-voting & ethics strengthening bill, is getting negative reviews from anti-anti-corruption politicians (Mitch McConnell), court-identified fabulists (Hans Spakovsky), and K street lobbyists. It’s also the subject of an Oversight hearing on Wednesday. Why won’t House Dems release their caucus rules? Progressives & grassroots orgs are pushing for their publication while Democratic Caucus chair Hakeem Jeffries dodges press questions. Rep. Jeffries didn’t respond to […]

Tags: Staff Clearances, Foreign Lobbying, Office of Congressional Ethics, US Capitol Police, Korematsu Day, factions, White Supremacy, Caucus Rules

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

House Intel Should Follow House Rules and Keep Its First Meeting Open to the Public

By DanielSchuman February 2, 2019 2 min read

The House Intelligence Committee has scheduled its organizational meeting for this Wednesday, but by setting the meeting as “closed” and holding it where it is inaccessible to the public and press, it is in violation of House rules.

Tags: House

Accountability and Oversight, Appropriations, Rules, Appropriation Tracking, Blog posts, Reports & Analysis

How House Committees Get Their Money

By DanielSchuman January 25, 2019 5 min read

(A version of this article updated for the 116th Congress is available here). Committee funding in the House of Representatives is accomplished through a somewhat quirky process. Appropriators in the House Legislative Branch Appropriations Committee set a top dollar amount for the committees — they appropriate the funds — but it is the Committee on […]

Tags: House, Data, Congressional Ops

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: Caucus Rules, Science & Tech

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

Forecast for December 24, 2018. Naughty or Nice.

By DanielSchuman December 23, 2018 10 min read

THE TOP LINE Naughty or nice. Congress is still in session, so here’s a little something to read if you’re still hanging around. Shutdown. For the first time in years, the House and Senate got their approps work done on time and five bills enacted into law. But instead of pushing for the remaining seven, they […]

Tags: Congressional Research Service, Office of Congressional Ethics, Legislation

Forecast for November 25, 2019.

Forecast for November 4, 2019.

Forecast for August 5, 2019.

Rule of Law(makers)

Forecast for July 29, 2019.

Forecast for February 19, 2019. Never Waste an Emergency

Forecast for February 4, 2019. Executive Time.

House Intel Should Follow House Rules and Keep Its First Meeting Open to the Public

How House Committees Get Their Money

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

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

Forecast for December 24, 2018. Naughty or Nice.

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