January 6 | First Branch Center

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

First Branch Forecast for September 19, 2022: Fixing Congress

By DanielSchuman September 19, 2022 17 min read

TOP LINE The Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress held its final hearing last Wednesday, aptly on how Congress should continue its work. The Committee has issued 177 recommendations over its three-and-a-half year tenure and likely will surpass the 200 mark before its work concludes at the end of this Congress. By its own […]

Tags: Office of Legal Counsel, Freedom of Information Act, Modernization, Staff Clearances, January 6, ethics, Continuity

Appropriations, Congressional Workplace Fairness and Inclusion, Continuity and Resiliency, Modernization, First Branch Forecast, Blog posts

First Branch Forecast for July 25, 2022: Après moi, le déluge

By DanielSchuman July 25, 2022 18 min read

TOP LINE This week. In the House, it’s the last week before summer recess. It’s also the Senate’s penultimate week before recess — though we’re seeing calls for both chambers to stay in session. The House will consider a huge semiconductor R&D bill and perhaps public safety legislation concerning firearms. Senate Democratic Appropriators may publish their approps bills. Expect […]

Tags: Staff Pay, Congressional Unionization, January 6, factions, House Digital Service

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

First Branch Forecast for July 11, 2022: The Plot Thickens

By DanielSchuman July 11, 2022 19 min read

TOP LINE This week. There are just a few weeks left until August recess — three in the House, four in the Senate — which means everything’s accelerating. • They’re back. The Senate is back on Monday and the House is back on Tuesday. It’s NDAA week in the House (amendments are here); Senate Dems appear to be lining up another […]

Tags: Staff Pay, Diversity and Inclusion, January 6, Earmarks, Political Violence

Appropriations, Congressional Security, Congressional Workplace Fairness and Inclusion, Appropriation Tracking, First Branch Forecast, Blog posts

First Branch Forecast for June 21, 2022

By DanielSchuman June 21, 2022 21 min read

TOP LINE This week. The House is in today and so is the Senate. After this week, both chambers will take a break from floor legislative activities until July 11th — according to the House floor calendar and Senate floor calendar — although the House will hold a committee work week next week. Afterward, the House has scheduled only 3 weeks of […]

Tags: Appropriations, Staff Pay, US Capitol Police, January 6, Congressional Data Task Force, Legislative Branch, Political Violence, House Digital Service

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

First Branch Forecast for June 13, 2022: Everything at once

By DanielSchuman June 13, 2022 13 min read

TOP LINE As hearings into the Trump insurrection start, we join the #CapitolStrong community in recognizing that this can bring up strong feelings among the Members, staff, employees, journalists, and others who work on Capitol Hill or are close to those who do. Some mental health resources are available on the coalition website. This week. The House is […]

Tags: Appropriations, Staff Pay, US Capitol Police, January 6, SCOTUS

Accountability and Oversight, Congressional Security, Congressional Workplace Fairness and Inclusion, First Branch Forecast, Blog posts

First Branch Forecast for June 6, 2022: Congress heats up

By DanielSchuman June 6, 2022 8 min read

TOP LINE This week. We promised we’d take the week off from the newsletter, but we just can’t quit you. Please note that House subcommittee markups for the NDAA are happening this week and appropriations hearings are continuing. (See our appropriations tracker for the latest deadlines.) We understand the January 6th Committee will hold the first hearing in a series […]

Tags: Congressional Unionization, US Capitol Police, January 6, Political Violence, War Powers

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

First Branch Forecast for May 23, 2022: Member Days

By DanielSchuman May 23, 2022 17 min read

TOP LINE This week. The Senate is back Tuesday; the House has a committee work week. Approps hearings continue, with USCP, GAO, and the Library of Congress testifying re: their budget requests before the Senate Leg Branch SubCmte on Wednesday. Also on Wednesday, HSGAC will hold a markup for a slate of good government bills, some of which are […]

Tags: Office of Legal Counsel, Freedom of Information Act, Staff Pay, Modernization, Congressional Unionization, January 6, Legislation

Accountability and Oversight, Appropriations, Congressional Security, Congressional Workplace Fairness and Inclusion, Modernization, Appropriation Tracking, First Branch Forecast, Blog posts

First Branch Forecast for May 9, 2022: Union means together

By DanielSchuman May 9, 2022 34 min read

TOP LINE Welcome back. The Senate is in today; the House is back tomorrow. On the House floor, a resolution to allow House staff to unionize will be brought to a vote later this week. Senate Leg branch approps has started its hearings, with the Architect, CBO, and Senate SAA on Wednesday; House FSGG approps will hear from the federal judiciary on […]

Tags: Congressional Research Service, Appropriations, Access to Congressionally Mandated Reports Act, Congressional Unionization, US Capitol Police, January 6, Political Violence

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

First Branch Forecast for March 21, 2022: Not the Supremes

By DanielSchuman March 21, 2022 18 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 Senate is in; the House is out. This week, much attention will focus on the Senate Judiciary Committee’s hearing on SCOTUS nominee Hon. Ketanji Brown Jackson. Last week was packed with Sunshine […]

Tags: Staff Pay, Advisory Committee on Transparency, Political Violence, Whistleblower Protections, Congressional Transparency Caucus, January 6, US Capitol Police, Congressional Unionization, Access to Congressionally Mandated Reports Act, Freedom of Information Act, Office of Legal Counsel

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

First Branch Forecast for March 7, 2022

By DanielSchuman March 7, 2022 17 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 The House and Senate are both in session today. This week Congress will attempt to pass the spending omnibus — which may include emergency supplementals for Ukraine and Covid-19 — before government funding expires Friday. We’re keeping our eyes […]

Tags: Staff Pay, Congressional Unionization, Diversity and Inclusion, US Capitol Police, January 6, SCOTUS, Congressional Data Task Force, Office of Congressional Workplace Rights, Proxy Voting

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

First Branch Forecast for February 22, 2022: The twos

By DanielSchuman February 22, 2022 11 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 Happy recess. Last week the Senate managed to pass a continuing resolution to fund the government through March 11. Apparently appropriators have reached an agreement on the top line numbers for the appropriations subcommittees, […]

Tags: Congressional Unionization, US Capitol Police, January 6, Proxy Voting

2.17.22

Daniel Schuman Responses to Questions for the Record before the Committee on House Administration Regarding Oversight of the January 6th Capitol Attack Hearing Held on February 17, 2022

Tag: January 6

First Branch Forecast for September 19, 2022: Fixing Congress

First Branch Forecast for July 25, 2022: Après moi, le déluge

First Branch Forecast for July 11, 2022: The Plot Thickens

First Branch Forecast for June 21, 2022

First Branch Forecast for June 13, 2022: Everything at once

First Branch Forecast for June 6, 2022: Congress heats up

First Branch Forecast for May 23, 2022: Member Days

First Branch Forecast for May 9, 2022: Union means together

First Branch Forecast for March 21, 2022: Not the Supremes

First Branch Forecast for March 7, 2022

First Branch Forecast for February 22, 2022: The twos

Daniel Schuman Responses to Questions for the Record before the Committee on House Administration Regarding Oversight of the January 6th Capitol Attack Hearing Held on February 17, 2022

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