White Supremacy | First Branch Center

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

First Branch Forecast for May 22, 2023: The plan for Congress’s funding in FY 24

By DanielSchuman May 22, 2023 25 min read

TOP LINE Government accountability requires both structural mechanisms and personal will. By moderately decreasing funding levels for the Legislative branch, House appropriators preserved most of the structural accountability capacity of Congress in their FY 2024 spending package. Individuals, however, continue to dodge holding peers accountable. The US Capitol Police is allowing former acting chief Yogananda […]

Tags: Capitol Security, House Ethics Committee, US Capitol Police, White Supremacy

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

Forecast for July 19, 2021

By DanielSchuman July 19, 2021 10 min read

Welcome to the First Branch Forecast, your weekly look into the Legislative branch and government transparency. The House and Senate are holding floor votes this week; the House is currently scheduled to go into recess in two weeks and the Senate is scheduled to go into recess in three. We shall see. Subscribe here. THE TOP LINE […]

Tags: Diversity and Inclusion, Office of Congressional Ethics, Political Violence, White Supremacy, Congressional Data Task Force, Office of Legal Counsel, Government Accountability Office

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

Forecast for July 6, 2021

By DanielSchuman July 6, 2021 18 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 wonderful July 4th weekend. THE TOP LINE House Appropriations favorably reported six of the twelve spending bills, including a Legislative Branch bill and report that included desperately and long overdue investments in the Legislative Branch, […]

Tags: Library of Congress, Inspector General, Diversity and Inclusion, January 6, SCOTUS, Congressional Data Task Force, Earmarks, White Supremacy, Legislation, Whistleblower Protections, Proxy Voting

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

Forecast for April 19, 2021

By DanielSchuman April 19, 2021 23 min read

Welcome to the First Branch Forecast, your weekly look into the Legislative branch and government transparency. (Tell your friends to subscribe.) TOP LINE White nationalism has no place in Congress and yet several representatives on Friday were gathering support to start the America First Caucus, ostensibly focused on Anglo-Saxon “political traditions,” per PunchBowl.news. The America First Committee, the obvious antecedent, […]

Tags: Access to Congressionally Mandated Reports Act, Congressional Research Service, Staff Pay, US Capitol Police, January 6, MRA, Earmarks, Congressional Data, White Supremacy, Science & Tech, Leg Support Agencies, Political Violence, Cybersecurity

Appropriations, Rules, First Branch Forecast, Blog posts

Forecast for February 25, 2020.

By DanielSchuman February 25, 2020 4 min read

We’ve been busy writing reports and appropriations requests, so welcome to an abbreviated and belated First Branch Forecast. IN BRIEF House Rules are a way for lawmakers to set priorities & implement reforms. We tracked the status of reforms in the House Rules package: see the results. Approps season is in full swing. Roll Call has a draft House […]

Tags: Freedom of Information Act, US Capitol Police, White Supremacy, Leg Support Agencies, Political Violence

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

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 11, 2019. The Not at SXSW Edition.

By DanielSchuman March 11, 2019 8 min read

IT’S SUNSHINE WEEK, devoted to all things transparency, and there are a ton of Congress tie-ins. On the House floor, set for a vote this week, are: the Access to Congressionally Mandated Report Act (which requires all agency reports sent to Congress to be online on a central website); the Federal Advisory Committee Act Amendments of 2019 (to improve transparency of the […]

Tags: Library of Congress, Freedom of Information Act, Access to Congressionally Mandated Reports Act, Office of Congressional Ethics, White Supremacy, Legislation

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

Forecast for February 19, 2019. Never Waste an Emergency

By DanielSchuman February 19, 2019 6 min read

THE HOUSE COMMITTEE TASKED WITH MODERNIZING CONGRESS has 12 newly appointed members, an initial $50,000 budget (through March), and less than one year to issue recommendations. There’s little doubt that Congress must invest in its own brain power and modernize its technology. The select committee isn’t Congress’s only hope, as the oversight committees (House Admin + Senate Rules) and leg branch […]

Tags: Access to Congressionally Mandated Reports Act, Staff Pay, US Capitol Police, Earmarks, White Supremacy, Legislation, Office of Congressional Workplace Rights, Caucus Rules, press freedom

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

Forecast for February 4, 2019. Executive Time.

By DanielSchuman February 4, 2019 9 min read

THE TOP LINE H.R. 1, the pro-voting & ethics strengthening bill, is getting negative reviews from anti-anti-corruption politicians (Mitch McConnell), court-identified fabulists (Hans Spakovsky), and K street lobbyists. It’s also the subject of an Oversight hearing on Wednesday. Why won’t House Dems release their caucus rules? Progressives & grassroots orgs are pushing for their publication while Democratic Caucus chair Hakeem Jeffries dodges press questions. Rep. Jeffries didn’t respond to […]

Tags: White Supremacy, factions, Korematsu Day, US Capitol Police, Office of Congressional Ethics, Foreign Lobbying, Staff Clearances, Caucus Rules

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

Forecast for January 22, 2019. Champagne Wishes & Caviar Dreams.

By DanielSchuman January 22, 2019 10 min read

TOP LINE In a lengthy and insightful essay, noted Holocaust historian Christopher Browning drew ominous parallels between the destruction of the Weimar Republic by the “old right” and what’s happening today. The most gripping section is his analysis of the old Republic, but this section is striking as well: “If the US has someone whom historians will look […]

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

AI and Emerging Technology, Modernization, First Branch Forecast, Blog posts

Forecast for November 5, 2018. Congressional Tech Gets an Upgrade.

By DanielSchuman November 5, 2018 6 min read

THE TOP LINE It’d be great if Tuesday were a federal holiday. Just saying. While we’re at it, how about ending daylight savings time? Happy Monday from the only congressional newsletter not talking about polling.

Tags: Congressional Data Task Force, White Supremacy, Data, Leadership, Cybersecurity

Tag: White Supremacy

First Branch Forecast for May 22, 2023: The plan for Congress’s funding in FY 24

Forecast for July 19, 2021

Forecast for July 6, 2021

Forecast for April 19, 2021

Forecast for February 25, 2020.

Forecast for April 15, 2019. First hundred days.

Forecast for March 11, 2019. The Not at SXSW Edition.

Forecast for February 19, 2019. Never Waste an Emergency

Forecast for February 4, 2019. Executive Time.

Forecast for January 22, 2019. Champagne Wishes & Caviar Dreams.

Forecast for November 5, 2018. Congressional Tech Gets an Upgrade.

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