FBF: Looking under the hood at the rules (8/12/24)
The Top Line I teased last week that much is happening behind the scenes in Congress that’s not about the re-election. August is the un-official starting gun for efforts to modify chamber and party rules plus subtle campaigning in leadership elections and for...
FBF: Congress is OOO but this week’s Congress news is in your inbox (8/4/24)
The Top Line From our shameless self-promotion division, Roll Call was kind enough to profile me this past Tuesday. Do you support democracy? I mean, do you work at a foundation or are a high-net worth individual and want to see our political system work better? If...
FBF: It’s almost recess, but first Chevron, IGs, and committee video (7/29/2024)
The House of Representatives cut short the legislative session on Thursday and won’t be back in town until September 9th. At that point, they’ll have three weeks to pass a continuing resolution to fund the government. The Senate will leave town later this week and...
FBF: The Post-Biden Era: 7/22/2024
July 22, 2024 Good morning and welcome back to what likely will be an insane two weeks before the August recess. As we get started, a few programming notes. The next edition of the First Branch Forecast will come from news@firstbranchforecast.com. Please add that...
FBF: What a week! July 15, 2024
There’s a lot happening in the world, but we will stay focused on Congress. Welcome to the First Branch Forecast. But first… Other News In Brief Former Pres. Trump was the apparent victim of an assassination attempt. This is a developing news story, so please remember...
FBF: We’re back! Week of July 8, 2024
Good morning and happy belated 4th of July! Did you miss receiving the First Branch Forecast? Well, we’re back and at our new home at the American Governance Institute. It seems a few things happened while we were on hiatus. As usual, we’re going to stay focused on...
Announcing a New Home for First Branch Forecast
The team behind the First Branch Forecast is proud to announce a new destination for our work and this newsletter: We’re joining forces with our friends at POPVOX Foundation. After a brief hiatus, the First Branch Forecast will return to your inbox, but from a new...
First Branch Forecast for October 9, 2023: Opportunity in Crisis
A PROGRAMMING NOTE This will be the last full issue of the First Branch Forecast for a few weeks. Watch for an email from us from a new email address, most likely in November. More to come. TOP LINE As soon as it was restored in January’s rules package, the motion to...
First Branch Forecast for October 2, 2023: CR-azy week
TOP LINE What a CR-azy week. In many respects it is the natural result of the rules package agreed to at the start of the 118th Congress, the inability of the 117th Congress to enact key reforms, the rise of Trumpism, the return of the strong Speaker model in the...
First Branch Forecast for September 25, 2023: A Solution to Stop the Shutdown
TOP LINE This week will be monumental for Congress not only because of whatever outcome arises from the deadline to fund the government, but also the institutional impact of the ways the factional politics play out in getting there. Although it is the hard-right...