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Accountability and Oversight, AI and Emerging Technology, Modernization, Blog posts, Reports & Analysis

Finally, The Constitution (Annotated) In Your Virtual Pocket

By DanielSchuman September 17, 2018 3 min read

On the 231st anniversary of the delegates to the Constitutional Convention signing the U.S. Constitution, we’re pleased to share the good news that Cornell’s Legal Information Institute (LII) will today publish Congress’s legal treatise that explains how the Supreme Court interprets the Constitution. The treatise, known as the Constitution Annotated, is prepared by the Library of Congress’s […]

Tags: Leg Support Agencies

Accountability and Oversight, Blog posts, Reports & Analysis

Plan for Publishing CRS Reports Falls Short

By DanielSchuman August 17, 2018 2 min read

In March, new legislation from Congress required the Library of Congress publish all non-confidential Congressional Research Service reports online by September 19th of this year. That deadline is rapidly approaching and while congressional and civil society concerns about the library’s implementation plan remain unaddressed, the Librarian of Congress, Dr. Hayden, declined a direct request from Rep. Lofgren […]

Tags: Congressional Research Service, Leg Support Agencies

Accountability and Oversight, Blog posts, Reports & Analysis

Library Plan to Publish CRS Reports Falls Short of the Law, Is Unduly Expensive

By DanielSchuman July 13, 2018 4 min read

Civil society, students, librarians, and the general public were elated when Congress decided to make the non-confidential non-partisan reports issued by the Congressional Research Service publicly available. These reports are often referred to as the gold standard for information concerning the issues before Congress. We have obtained the Library of Congress’s implementation plan to make […]

Tags: Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress, Leg Support Agencies

Appropriations, Modernization, Appropriation Tracking, Blog posts, Reports & Analysis

What’s in the Senate Appropriations Committee’s 2019 Leg Branch Approps Bill

By DanielSchuman June 17, 2018 22 min read

On Thursday, the Senate Appropriations Committee unanimously adopted the Legislative Branch Appropriations bill for 2019 (committee bill text, committee report), advancing the measure to the full chamber. The legislation contains provisions concerning the Senate’s ability to do its job, mirroring in some instances provisions contained in the House bill, which was passed by that chamber last week. (As is […]

Tags: Senate, Congressional Ops, Science & Tech, Leg Support Agencies, Legislation

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

2019 House FSGG Approps Bill and Transparency

By DanielSchuman June 15, 2018 5 min read

On Wednesday, the House Appropriations Committee favorably reported the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act for FY 2019, which contains a few transparency-related measures and a few omissions. (Bill as reported; Committee Report as reported). I’ll address a few of the items: Central website for Congressional Budget Justifications No direct funding for Oversight.Gov DATA […]

Tags: House, Data, Congressional Ops, Science & Tech, Leg Support Agencies, Legislation

Congressional Workplace Fairness and Inclusion, Ethics and Influence, Blog posts, Reports & Analysis

Recs on the House’s Harassment Bill

By DanielSchuman January 26, 2018 9 min read

In early December, we shared our recommendations on how Congress should address harassment. Since then, the Committee on House Administration has published a draft reform bill — the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 Reform Act — and today we are publishing our recommendations on how that bill should be further strengthened. We expect the underlying legislation will be shortly enacted into law. Members […]

Tags: Office of Congressional Ethics, Congressional Ops, Leg Support Agencies, Legislation

Modernization, Blog posts, Reports & Analysis

Happy Birthday, U.S. Constitution. Can We Talk about the Constitution Annotated?

By DanielSchuman September 18, 2017 3 min read

Yesterday was the 230th birthday of the U.S. Constitution, signed at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia on September 17, 1787. More than a hundred years ago, Congress ordered its Library to publish an annotated Constitution that explains that important document. Each edition, starting in 1913, records how our founding document has been interpreted by the […]

Tags: Leg Support Agencies

Accountability and Oversight, Modernization, Advocacy, Blog posts, Reports & Analysis

My Testimony on Why CRS Reports Should be Publicly Available

By DanielSchuman May 3, 2017 6 min read

(These is a prepared version of oral testimony) Chairman Yoder, Ranking Member Ryan, and members of the Committee, thank you providing this opportunity for public testimony. This is such an important tradition, and I commend you for resuming it.

Tags: Congressional Research Service, Leg Support Agencies

Accountability and Oversight, Modernization, Announcements, Blog posts, Reports & Analysis

For The First Time, More than 8,200 Congressional Research Service Reports Available Online

By DanielSchuman October 20, 2016 5 min read

New Civil Society Website Makes Available to the American People Reports Previously Available to Congressional Staff and DC Insiders Contact: Daniel Schuman, Demand Progress 202–577–6100, daniel@demandprogress.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Washington, DC — October 19, 2016 — More than 8,200 reports authored by the Congressional Research Service, Congress’ think-tank, were published online today at EveryCRSReport.com by Demand Progress, a progressive grassroots organization with […]

Tags: Data, EveryCRSReport, Leg Support Agencies, Congressional Research Service

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

Why I Came To Believe CRS Reports Should be Publicly Available (and Built a Website to Make it Happen)

By DanielSchuman October 19, 2016 7 min read

I first started working for Congress as a senate intern in September 2001. I was 23 years old and had no experience working on policy. I found myself responding to letters from constituents on issues that I’d never heard of previously. It was then that I first encountered the Congressional Research Service and its reports. […]

Tags: EveryCRSReport, Leg Support Agencies, Congressional Research Service

Modernization, Blog posts, Reports & Analysis

The Constitution (Annotated) In Your Pocket

By DanielSchuman August 2, 2016 3 min read

After a powerful speech by Khizr Khan at the Democratic National Convention, sales of pocket U.S. Constitutions have skyrocketed, becoming the second best selling book on Amazon. This is great! But the words of the Constitution are unsufficient to provide an understanding into how it has been applied by the courts over the last two centuries. That’s where […]

Tags: Leg Support Agencies

AI and Emerging Technology, Modernization, Blog posts, Reports & Analysis

So Long, THOMAS

By DanielSchuman April 28, 2016 6 min read

The Library of Congress announced that the legislative information website THOMAS is scheduled to stop functioning on July 5, with Congress.gov to replace its functionality. This will allow the Library to focus all its energy on Congress.gov instead of having also to maintain a very awkward, 21-year-old website. I’m sure that many news reports will give […]

Tags: Leg Support Agencies, Data, Congressional Data Task Force, Library of Congress

Tag: Leg Support Agencies

Finally, The Constitution (Annotated) In Your Virtual Pocket

Plan for Publishing CRS Reports Falls Short

Library Plan to Publish CRS Reports Falls Short of the Law, Is Unduly Expensive

What’s in the Senate Appropriations Committee’s 2019 Leg Branch Approps Bill

2019 House FSGG Approps Bill and Transparency

Recs on the House’s Harassment Bill

Happy Birthday, U.S. Constitution. Can We Talk about the Constitution Annotated?

My Testimony on Why CRS Reports Should be Publicly Available

For The First Time, More than 8,200 Congressional Research Service Reports Available Online

Why I Came To Believe CRS Reports Should be Publicly Available (and Built a Website to Make it Happen)

The Constitution (Annotated) In Your Pocket

So Long, THOMAS

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