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

First Branch Forecast for August 8, 2022: It’s recess?

By DanielSchuman August 8, 2022 8 min read

TOP LINE This week. It’s recess-ish. The Senate passed the Inflation Reduction Act reconciliation package over the weekend and the House is expected to briefly reconvene on Friday, August 12 to pass that legislation and perhaps a few other bills. The events of the past week highlight that normal spending processes rarely go by the book; that ethics and […]

Tags: Congressional Unionization, ethics, debt limit, Earmarks, War Powers

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

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

Forecast for August 23, 2021

By DanielSchuman August 23, 2021 14 min read

Welcome to the First Branch Forecast, your regular look into the Legislative branch and government transparency. Subscribe here. THE TOP LINE They’re back? The House of Representatives returns for two days to pass a Budget resolution, a voting rights bill, and 12 suspension bills (including, we hope, the Congressional Budget Justification Transparency Act.) The Senate does not return until […]

Tags: Freedom of Information Act, US Capitol Police, January 6, Political Violence, Proxy Voting, War Powers

Accountability and Oversight, Congressional Security, First Branch Forecast, Blog posts

Forecast for July 26, 2021

By DanielSchuman July 26, 2021 18 min read

Welcome to the First Branch Forecast, your weekly look into the Legislative branch and government transparency. Subscribe here. THE TOP LINE Former Maryland police chief Tom Manger was sworn in as the US Capitol Police Chief. The Capitol Police are in disarray, with a dysfunctional and inadequate oversight structure, a poorly designed administrative structure, a well-founded absence of […]

Tags: Staff Clearances, US Capitol Police, January 6, Legislation, War Powers

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

Forecast for June 28, 2021

By DanielSchuman June 28, 2021 26 min read

Welcome to the First Branch Forecast, your weekly look into the Legislative branch and government transparency. Subscribe here. The Senate is in recess for two weeks until July 12th. The House is in session this week but prepping for the 4th of July holiday; it returns for a committee work week on July 12th and floor votes […]

Tags: Office of Legal Counsel, Staff Pay, US Capitol Police, January 6, Congressional Data Task Force, Leg Support Agencies, War Powers, Access to Court Proceedings

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

Forecast for June 21, 2021

By DanielSchuman June 21, 2021 24 min read

Welcome to the First Branch Forecast, your weekly look into the Legislative branch and government transparency. Subscribe here. We hope you had a good Juneteenth holiday weekend. The Senate is back on Monday and the House is back on Tuesday. THE TOP LINE Follow the money. The House deemed top line discretionary spending as part of an unrelated bill […]

Tags: Office of Congressional Ethics, War Powers, Political Violence, Whistleblower Protections, MRA, January 6, US Capitol Police, Staff Pay, Office of Legal Counsel

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

Forecast for June 14, 2021

By DanielSchuman June 14, 2021 28 min read

Welcome to the First Branch Forecast, your weekly look into the Legislative branch and government transparency. Subscribe here. THE TOP LINE Justice Department surveillance. The Justice Department surveilled at least two Members of the House Intelligence Committee, some committee staff, and family members in 2017-8 as part of a “leaks” investigation. Apple and an unidentified Information Service […]

Tags: January 6, War Powers, Proxy Voting, Political Violence, Surveillance, Section 702, MRA, debt limit, US Capitol Police, Department of Justice, Diversity and Inclusion, Congressional Unionization, Freedom of Information Act

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

Forecast for March 8, 2021

By DanielSchuman March 8, 2021 24 min read

Welcome to the First Branch Forecast, your weekly look into the Legislative branch and government transparency. (Was this email forwarded to you? Subscribe here.) THE TOP LINE General Honoré will brief Congress today in three closed meetings on his “Capitol Security Review” that was conducted out of public view over the last six weeks. The NYT published a […]

Tags: Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress, Freedom of Information Act, Staff Pay, Foreign Lobbying, Office of Congressional Ethics, US Capitol Police, January 6, Political Violence, War Powers

Accountability and Oversight, Modernization, Rules, First Branch Forecast, Blog posts

Forecast for September 14, 2020

By DanielSchuman September 14, 2020 9 min read

THE TOP LINE More should be happening. We are 16 days away from the end of the fiscal year; COVID-19 is everywhere and not going away any time soon; wildfires are burning on the west coast; the Executive branch is unabashedly flouting the law; and senior congressional leaders are raising concerns Pres. Trump will not peacefully transition power should […]

Tags: Congressional Research Service, PLUM Act, Government Accountability Office, Legislation, War Powers

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

Forecast for July 20, 2020

By DanielSchuman July 20, 2020 15 min read

THE TOP LINE The House Appropriations Committee finished its deliberations this past week, favorably reporting bills from its 12 subcommittees and marking the end of an era with Rep. Lowey’s forthcoming retirement as Chair. As we noted last week, this included much needed investments in the Legislative Branch, reclaiming Congress’ power of the purse, and increased transparency […]

Tags: Access to Court Proceedings, War Powers, Proxy Voting, Caucus Rules, Office of Legal Counsel, PLUM Act, Budget Justifications, SCOTUS, NDAA, Legislation

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

Forecast for May 11, 2020

By DanielSchuman May 11, 2020 16 min read

Will the House come back this week? Will Congress turn on remote deliberations? Is it really 142 days from the end of the fiscal year? There are lots of good questions (et tu, Senate) that we address this week. If we’ve missed something, ask us on Wednesday at 5pm at this virtual panel discussion on Continuity of […]

Tags: Office of Legal Counsel, US Capitol Police, SCOTUS, Surveillance, Proxy Voting, War Powers, Access to Court Proceedings

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

Forecast for March 9, 2020.

By DanielSchuman March 9, 2020 11 min read

TOP LINE There’s more news than can fit in our little newsletter. The House Rules Committee did its part to encourage the Article I Renaissance (to steal a phrase from Lorelei Kelly) with a nearly four-hour hearing spiced with thoughtful expert testimony examining how Congress’ role has been diminished over decades and how to reassert congressional authority. (How, […]

Tags: Freedom of Information Act, Government Accountability Office, Staff Pay, SCOTUS, Surveillance, Leg Support Agencies, War Powers, Government Publishing Office

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First Branch Forecast for August 8, 2022: It’s recess?

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

Forecast for August 23, 2021

Forecast for July 26, 2021

Forecast for June 28, 2021

Forecast for June 21, 2021

Forecast for June 14, 2021

Forecast for March 8, 2021

Forecast for September 14, 2020

Forecast for July 20, 2020

Forecast for May 11, 2020

Forecast for March 9, 2020.

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