113th Congress
Rules Changes Through Precedent
Don Wolfensberger wrote a nice piece on the parallels between Majority Leader Reid’s nuclear option and Speaker Reed’s ruling in 1890 that eliminated dilatory motions in the House. Both are good examples of rules changes through precedent. The two were so similar it was the first example that came to mind as Majority Leader
Nuclear Winter In The Senate… Or Not
Since Democrats invoked the nuclear option, reducing cloture on judicial and executive nominations, there are serious concerns that those actions would result in fallout. Would the Republican minority, in retaliation to losing significant leverage in the nominations process, attempt to drag out every nomination and/or bill? So far, that can’t be answered definitively. Some reporters
The Senate Goes Nuclear: Is the Filibuster Endangered?
Enormous change to the Senate occurred today. By majority vote, the Senate moved to proceed on judicial and executive nominations, with the exception of Supreme Court nominations. What you need to know: The parliamentary tactic used in the Senate was not a rules change. It was a change in precedent on the motion to proceed.
Why Congress Is The Way It Is
Senior Fellow Marian Currinder spoke to the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) this morning on the political dynamics of Congress. The question at hand was why Congress is the way it is, and why it matters. It’s no secret that the current Congress is unpopular, with an approval rating that hangs
Handicapping a Republican Overthrow of Speaker Boehner
As the House prepares to vote for another CR/debt deal without a majority of Republicans, some wonder whether this is the end of the line for Speaker Boehner. However, given the dynamics in the House, a mid-session overthrow is very unlikely, though not impossible. For one, a speaker has never been overthrown in the middle
Congressional Staff Continue to be Punching Bag
This morning on WTOP’s morning program Rep. Andy Harris (MD-1) blamed the government shutdown on Democrats’ refusal to remove the “gold-plated” health care benefit from the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). That’s the provision that allows the government to chip in for Members and their staff’s health benefits. Interestingly, fellow Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley, a sponsor
Op-Ed: No Good Options For Speaker
By Marian Currinder and Joshua Huder The federal government has shut down for the first time since 1996 and all eyes are focused on House Speaker John Boehner. Will he continue to insist upon tying a repeal or delay of Obamacare to a funding bill? Or will
Can Boehner Be Removed From Office?
If Speaker Boehner allows the House to vote on a “clean” continuing resolution with the idea of allowing it to pass with a majority of Democratic votes, can he be removed as Speaker in the 113th Congress? As of this writing it appears that a government shutdown is inevitable. The only realistic, albeit remote possibility of
Update On Government Employee Benefit Loss
As I mused in my last post, one argument in Congress is not ONLY should Congressional staff receive a subsidy as they are moved out of FEHBP and into the Exchange, it has also become who else should be moved without an employer match. According to a recent Robert Wood Johnson survey, slightly
Voting Against Defunding to Vote for Defunding: Cannibalism and the CR
The Senate’s procedural and strategic contexts may create an interesting irony for some Republicans this week. The Senate’s conservative Republicans may filibuster their own bill. If this seems like procedural cannibalism, it’s likely not. However, if they are successful, it may be unintended tactical cannibalism. Democratic Leader Harry Reid has repeatedly said that no continuing