Media Center
The Midterms Cometh
Laura Blessing | October 11, 2022
A bar graph haunts Washington. You know the one. Its jagged teeth notch losses for the President’s party in every post-WWII midterm House election, all except two. Those electoral projections have been a moving target this year, and in many respects we are living in unusual times. But the ultimate results will be more
Director’s Desk
Kristin Nicholson | September 7, 2022
Dear Friends: I hope you all had a wonderful summer. It’s now September of an even-numbered year, and Hill observers know what that means: the race is on for Congress to dispose of its most pressing business and release members for a final burst of campaigning before November 8. At the top of the must-do
Student Loan Debt Relief is a Big Deal – for Congress
Matt Glassman | September 7, 2022
On August 24th, President Biden announced a plan to provide student loan debt relief. The policy will include debt cancellation of up to $20,000 for Pell Grant recipients and up to $10,000 for non- Pell Grant debt, for anyone with an income less than $125,000 ($250,000 for married couples). In addition, future monthly payments
Director’s Desk
Kristin Nicholson | July 22, 2022
Dear Friends: If you’ve ever found yourself frantically trying to cross everything off your to-do list before heading out of town, you know how Congress is feeling right now. With only a handful of scheduled legislative days before the August recess, House and Senate leaders are looking for progress on key measures and hoping to
The Presidency: Bending Institutions to Save Them? By Professor Julia Azari
GAI | July 22, 2022
By Professor Julia Azari, Marquette University Presidential power is a bit at odds with democracy. Presidency scholars have noted this for years, suggesting that “greatness” is often uncomfortably close to the kind of norm-busting, authoritarian action that our constitution is supposed to avoid. Presidents also face a dilemma about who they represent.
Rest In Peace Congressional Budget Process
Josh Huder | June 6, 2022
Sometime in the last ten years the congressional budget process died. The precise moment is hard to pinpoint because it is not totally – just mostly — dead. But today, only a hollow version of the process still exists. Partisan majorities pass shell budgets to trigger reconciliation in the hopes
Director’s Desk
Kristin Nicholson | June 6, 2022
Dear Friends, The first half of summer is always an intense time on Capitol Hill, and we are about to be in the thick of it. This week will bring a continued focus on gun violence in both chambers. The House will vote on a large package of gun safety measures this week, while
Director’s Desk
Kristin Nicholson | May 3, 2022
Dear Friends, Last night’s extraordinary release of a draft Supreme Court opinion appearing to overturn the landmark Roe v Wade decision has ensured abortion rights will dominate the conversation on and off the Hill this month, and likely for remainder of this Congress. Expect lots more talk about eliminating the filibuster in order
The Defense Budget: Current Status and Core Issues
Katina Slavkova | May 3, 2022
Defense officials are already busy making the obligatory annual rounds on Capitol Hill in support of the President’s preferred spending priorities. The current steady pace of congressional hearings might suggest that Congress is methodically working its way towards a timely passage of the defense budget. But this burst of activity on the
Director’s Desk
Kristin Nicholson | April 5, 2022
Dear Friends, Happy spring! Last week, Congress received President Biden’s FY23 budget, a document that any legislative branch denizen will remind you is merely a proposal. The next couple of months will bring a slew of committee hearings, staff briefings, meetings with advocates, and member project requests as the appropriations committees prepare to