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

Forecast for April 13, 2020

By DanielSchuman April 13, 2020 12 min read

It has been another tough week just about everywhere. We hope you and yours are staying safe. This newsletter is becoming harder and harder to write, but we hope it is helpful as we work together to keep our democracy. CONTINUITY OF CONGRESS We launched a website that gathers all the major resources and developments on […]

Tags: Remote Voting, Access to Court Proceedings, SCOTUS, Inspector General, Congressional Research Service

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

Forecast for April 6, 2020.

By DanielSchuman April 6, 2020 12 min read

TOP LINE It’s been another never-ending week. We hope that you’re staying healthy and staying at home. This issue focuses on continuity of Congress, protecting whistleblowers, mass surveillance, and coronavirus “oversight.” (Hey, if you’re regularly reading our little newsletter, why not subscribe if you have not already? It’s free…)

Tags: Inspector General, Staff Pay, Remote Voting, US Capitol Police, MRA, Surveillance

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

Forecast for March 23, 2020

By DanielSchuman March 23, 2020 16 min read

The Pope banned public masses, closed Holy Week services, and is encouraging “spiritual communion” when it is unsafe to receive it in person; the New York Stock Exchange has rushed a rule into effect to facilitate electronic auctions in light of the temporary closure of the trading floor; and yet the Speaker of the House and Majority Leader […]

Tags: Remote Voting, Office of Congressional Ethics, Surveillance

Accountability and Oversight, AI and Emerging Technology, Appropriations, Ethics and Influence, Modernization, First Branch Forecast, Blog posts

Forecast for March 2, 2020.

By DanielSchuman March 2, 2020 13 min read

ON YOUR RADAR Approps season is firing on all cylinders, with many Members schedules double- or triple-booked. It’s running us ragged, too. (At least we can help you keep track of testimony deadlines.) Maybe Congress should take a real look at fixing its hearing schedule? Anyway— Leg Branch heard testimony from LOC and GAO this past week, and there’s news […]

Tags: Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress, Government Accountability Office, Surveillance, Science & Tech, Leg Support Agencies, Office of Congressional Workplace Rights, Cybersecurity

Ethics and Influence, Modernization, Rules, Blog posts, Reports & Analysis

Reforms Included in the House Rules for the 116th Congress

By DanielSchuman February 20, 2020 7 min read

At the beginning of each Congress, House lawmakers adopt rules that will govern the state of play for both sessions of that Congress. The rules of the House of Representatives are a chance for the majority to set priorities as well as implement operational and institutional reforms. We made a number of reform recommendations — […]

Tags: House, Congressional Ops

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

Forecast for February 18, 2020.

By DanielSchuman February 18, 2020 14 min read

ON YOUR RADAR A nice breather. Both the House and Senate are in recess this week. Whistleblower Ombudsman. Congratulations to Shanna Devine, who was just named the House of Representatives’ first Whistleblower Ombudsman. The nonpartisan, independent office, established 14 months ago as part of the House rules package and filled this past week — with bipartisan support […]

Tags: Government Accountability Office, Office of Legal Counsel, Department of Justice, US Capitol Police, Science & Tech, Leg Support Agencies, Office of Congressional Workplace Rights, Caucus Rules, Whistleblower Protections, War Powers

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

Forecast For February 10, 2020.

By DanielSchuman February 10, 2020 8 min read

ON YOUR RADAR Shedding light on the Justice Department’s OLC Opinions is the topic of today’s Transparency Caucus briefing, set for 2pm in 1310 Longworth. RSVP to Hannah.Mansbach@mail.house.gov. Here’s why we think OLC opinion transparency is important plus a refresher on legislative efforts concerning OLC opinions. Also, read Mike Stern’s latest on OLC. Oversight hearings […]

Tags: Office of Legal Counsel, Congressional Research Service, Staff Clearances, US Capitol Police, Earmarks, Science & Tech, Leg Support Agencies, Budget, Political Violence, War Powers, Foreign Lobbying

Accountability and Oversight, Congressional Workplace Fairness and Inclusion, Ethics and Influence, Modernization, Uncategorized, Blog posts

Forecast For February 3, 2020.

By DanielSchuman February 3, 2020 10 min read

THE TOP LINE Congress’s science & tech policy agency was defunded in the 90s; this week, Harvard’s Ash Center published Zach Graves and my road map to building a modern congressional technology assessment office. (More below) The House moved to reassert congressional war powers authority when it passed two measures that limits the spending of money on war with […]

Tags: Staff Pay, Department of Justice, MRA, Science & Tech, Whistleblower Protections, War Powers

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

Forecast for January 27, 2020.

By DanielSchuman January 27, 2020 9 min read

THE TOP LINE The “Senate is hiding from all of us,” writes longtime hill reporter Kathy Kiely, who said “the current security scheme appears designed to protect lawmakers from reporters’ questions.” The restrictions on press access, which we oppose, are a black eye on the Senate and a provocation for future restrictions. Care about leg branch funding? We’ve […]

Tags: Office of Legal Counsel, Earmarks, Science & Tech, Whistleblower Protections, War Powers

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

Forecast for January 21, 2020.

By DanielSchuman January 21, 2020 12 min read

House Members are in their districts this week but the Senate is in for impeachment trial proceedings, which start today. Senators are the deciders, but they are not jurors. Before we start, it’s worth rereading MLK’s letter from a Birmingham jail. I found this section resonant: “I have tried to make clear that it is wrong to use immoral means […]

Tags: Office of Legal Counsel, Freedom of Information Act, Government Accountability Office, Staff Pay, Remote Voting, Earmarks, War Powers, press freedom

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

Forecast for January 13, 2020.

By DanielSchuman January 13, 2020 8 min read

THE TOP LINE 8 House Dems voted to cede Congress’s constitutional role in matters of war and peace by voting ‘No’ on the House war powers resolution while Rep. Amash plus GOP Reps. Gaetz, Massie, and Rooney voted ‘Yes’ to protect our system of checks-and-balances. Notable, in addition to the vast majority of Republicans who likely would have voted differently […]

Tags: Office of Legal Counsel, Foreign Lobbying, Budget, War Powers

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

Forecast for January 6, 2020.

By DanielSchuman January 6, 2020 16 min read

Welcome back. An astonishing amount has happened over the break, so let’s dive back in. THE TOP LINE The US assassinated Iranian Maj. Gen Qassem Soleimani in what may be a violation of US and international law — in flagrant violation of Congress’s war powers. Much more on this below in the section entitled “Wag the […]

Tags: Access to Congressionally Mandated Reports Act, Government Accountability Office, SCOTUS, Office of Congressional Workplace Rights, Whistleblower Protections, War Powers

Forecast for April 13, 2020

Forecast for April 6, 2020.

Forecast for March 23, 2020

Forecast for March 2, 2020.

Reforms Included in the House Rules for the 116th Congress

Forecast for February 18, 2020.

Forecast For February 10, 2020.

Forecast For February 3, 2020.

Forecast for January 27, 2020.

Forecast for January 21, 2020.

Forecast for January 13, 2020.

Forecast for January 6, 2020.

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