Revise & Extend
The Holiday CR, Organizing Congress, and what to look for in the 119th
Josh Huder | December 18, 2024
Laura, Matt, and Josh discuss the holiday CR, Democrats and Republicans organizational decisions, and things to look for in the 119th Congress.
Modernization in Congress: Keeping the Momentum Going
GAI | December 12, 2024
Guest Post by Lorelei Kelly , Research Faculty Lead on Congressional Modernization at GeoDES, Georgetown Democracy, Education + Service, McCourt School of Public Policy Hidden beneath divisive campaign season headlines, Congress has a positive story to share. Prompted by an inefficient, outdated workflow and historically low public trust in government, Democrats and Republicans have worked
The Government We Deserve?
Laura Blessing | November 7, 2024
Election Day 2024 is behind us. The country is taking stock of who we are and where we might be going. The final calls on some congressional races are still forthcoming, as predicted. There are many ways of viewing the political moment we’re in, but any reading of political history shows precursors to phenomena of
The Annual Appropriations Dance
Josh Huder | October 3, 2024
Congress has once again missed its annual deadline to fund the federal government for the entire fiscal year. This has become an all-too-familiar dance on Capitol Hill: Congress fails to adopt a budget; the House and Senate draft very different spending bills; nothing happens for a few months; then we watch as Congress fumbles around
What to Expect When You Are Expecting Nothing
Matt Glassman | September 4, 2024
Both the House and Senate will return from their annual summer recess next week. Given the paltry amount of legislation produced during the 118th Congress—just 78 laws enacted, almost none of them notable–you might think Members were gearing up for a strong finish to the second session. But almost nobody expects Congress to do
Eroding Checks and Balances: The Immunity Decision
Susan Sullivan Lagon | July 24, 2024
It seems the Founders are out of fashion. Alexander Hamilton’s language could use some updating—but not in the rhythmic style of the eponymous musical. Rather, a core principle of governance, his views of the judiciary as a branch showing “neither force nor will, merely judgement”, are out of step. It is now impossible to see
Delegation and Deference in the Administrative State: The Fate of Chevron Deference
GAI | June 24, 2024
By Professor Mark Richardson, Georgetown University The Supreme Court is expected to hand down rulings on a number of major cases during the last week in June. The past few years have brought major decisions reshaping jurisprudence and law – including those that overturn long standing precedents – and this year is expected to be
Speaker Johnson: Speaker of the House but not of the Majority
Josh Huder | April 15, 2024
As Congress struggles to act on a myriad of challenges, much of the blame – rightly or wrongly – is being laid at Speaker Johnson’s feet. Currently, he stands in the way of foreign aid packages to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, an FAA reauthorization, the farm bill, and more. However, the scope of
Disarming the Speaker
Laura Blessing | March 12, 2024
Another shutdown threat barely averted, and another stopgap spending bill passed with more to follow, while major legislation stagnates. If this feels familiar, you’re not alone. But how difficult is this moment we’re in? Congress has been derided as a “do nothing” institution before: in 1880, in 1948, and more recently with the divided government
Political Dynamics of the Second Session of the 118th Congress
Matt Glassman | February 5, 2024
The first session of the 118th Congress was historically unproductive. Only 35 measures were signed into law, with only the Fiscal Responsibility Act and the Defense Authorization Act of significant note. Several major items on the agenda—border security, foreign aid, tax extenders—saw no floor action, while others—the Farm bill, FAA reauthorization, the FY24 appropriations—