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Forecast for April 15, 2019. First hundred days.

By DanielSchuman April 15, 2019 13 min read

HOUSE OPERATIONS Technology staff hiring faces huge challenges, according to House Clerk Cheryl Johnson and House Sergeant at Arms Paul Irving. At this past week’s House Admin hearing, both agencies said they struggle with hiring and retaining IT personnel, a topic that came up several times. The House officers identified insufficient resources to pay staff, the […]

Tags: US Capitol Police, White Supremacy, Science & Tech, Trump Taxes, Whistleblower Protections, Political Violence, Cybersecurity

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

Forecast for March 25, 2019. Only the best and most serious people.

By DanielSchuman March 25, 2019 10 min read

MUELLER LITE? Recess is over, Congress is back, and appropriations season is in full swing, but what is everyone talking about? Sigh. As my kids would say, “BORING!” Let’s talk about Congress instead. The House and Senate are back for three weeks. PROPOSED HOUSE COMMITTEE ALLOTMENTS (i.e., how much the House will spend on each of its […]

Tags: Political Violence, Access to Congressionally Mandated Reports Act, Staff Clearances, Office of Congressional Ethics, Legislation

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

Forecast for January 14, 2019. Snow Day.

By DanielSchuman January 14, 2019 13 min read

THE TOP LINE “Why is Congress so dumb?” Rep. Bill Pascrell’s op-ed does a masterful job of summarizing how the self-lobotomization of Congress caused a decline in congressional expertise and empowered special interests. It’s why the new House Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress is a big deal and represents an opportunity for Congress to stand up for itself. The last time […]

Tags: social media, Government Publishing Office, Cybersecurity, Political Violence, Trump Taxes, open government partnership, White Supremacy, factions, Office of Legal Counsel

AI and Emerging Technology, Congressional Security, Congressional Workplace Fairness and Inclusion, Ethics and Influence, Rules, First Branch Forecast, Blog posts

Forecast for October 29, 2018. Child Care, Congressional Departures, the CAA, APIs, and Voicemail.

By DanielSchuman October 29, 2018 7 min read

THE TOP LINE Capitol Hill child care centers that prioritize Congressional staff have only 240 spots and a 550 deep wait list, according to a new Demand Progress report. Roll Call’s Katherine Tully-McManus covered efforts to expand availability to serve the 15,000 staffers on Capitol hill; even if expansion plans come to fruition, they would not meet […]

Tags: Government Publishing Office, Cybersecurity, Political Violence, White Supremacy, Earmarks, Congressional Research Service

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

Forecast for October 9, 2018. FutureCongress, Plus “Popular Bills” Can Be Substantive, Too.

By DanielSchuman October 9, 2018 9 min read

LEGISLATIVE CAPACITY That Congress’s tech savvy hasn’t kept up with the times isn’t exactly breaking news, but we should highlight that 20 bipartisan advocacy groups led by Demand Progress and the Lincoln Network launched Future Congress this past week, a resource hub for efforts to improve science and technology expertise in the legislative branch. Do 218 co-sponsors make a difference […]

Tags: Freedom of Information Act, social media, Political Violence, Trump Taxes, Cybersecurity, White Supremacy, US Capitol Police, Library of Congress, Office of Legal Counsel

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

Forecast for August 6, 2018. Transparency Bills Are Stuck and the Clock Is Ticking.

By DanielSchuman August 6, 2018 6 min read

TICKING CLOCK ON TRANSPARENCY BILLS The House and Senate have about a dozen good government and transparency bills that have widespread support, have advanced through the chambers, but are now stuck for no apparent (or good) reason. Here’s four of them: — The Access to Congressionally Mandated Reports Act (HR 4631), which requires all mandated agency reports […]

Tags: Access to Congressionally Mandated Reports Act, Office of Congressional Ethics, press freedom, Political Violence, NDAA, Legislation

Ethics and Influence, Blog posts, Reports & Analysis

Congressional Reactions to Charlottesville: An Analysis of 327 Tweets and Statements

By DanielSchuman August 16, 2017 21 min read

On Saturday, white nationalists including neo-Nazis, the KKK, and the “alt-right” held a rally/riot in Charlottesville, VA. In the immediate aftermath, President Trump said “many sides” were to blame for the violence. Again on Tuesday, Trump drew a moral equivalency between white nationalists and those who opposed them in Charlottesville. These statements were widely interpreted by many, […]

Tags: White Supremacy, Political Violence, Data

Tag: Political Violence

Forecast for April 15, 2019. First hundred days.

Forecast for March 25, 2019. Only the best and most serious people.

Forecast for October 29, 2018. Child Care, Congressional Departures, the CAA, APIs, and Voicemail.

Forecast for August 6, 2018. Transparency Bills Are Stuck and the Clock Is Ticking.

Congressional Reactions to Charlottesville: An Analysis of 327 Tweets and Statements

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