Revise & Extend
Democrats in disarray? The surprisingly normal politics of infrastructure negotiations
Matt Glassman | September 8, 2021
On August 24th, the House adopted S.Con.Res.14, the congressional budget resolution for Fiscal Year 2022 previously adopted by the Senate on August 11th, setting up consideration of a $3.5T package of spending under the reconciliation process. The budget resolution was adopted 220-212 in the House and 50-49 in the Senate, with every Democrat
The Importance of the Congressional Calendar
Katina Slavkova | July 7, 2021
Halfway through its first session, the 117th Congress finds itself in familiar territory, one that past Congresses know all too well. The crush of ambitious and unfinished legislative business is threatening to overwhelm Capitol Hill’s notoriously tricky and fickle schedule. Call it the tyranny of the congressional calendar. Here we’ll consider
A Familiar Landmine: The Looming Debt Ceiling
Laura Blessing | June 4, 2021
With all the other tumult going on in our politics, one might be forgiven for not focusing on a familiar landmine: the debt ceiling. After all, since its regularized inclusion in the appropriations process a decade ago, Congress has shifted from extending the debt limit to a specific amount
First, Do No Harm
Susan Sullivan Lagon | May 5, 2021
The Supreme Court, and potential reforms to it, are again in the national spotlight. In just one term, President Donald Trump left an indelible imprint on the federal judiciary by appointing 234 judges, 54 at the appellate level and three to the Supreme Court. Stung by Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s hasty confirmation in the waning
Stretching Processes and Avoiding Reform: Senate Reconciliation and Filibuster
Josh Huder | April 8, 2021
News dropped Monday the Senate Parliamentarian would allow Democrats to “revise” the budget resolution for fiscal year 2021. This is an important guidance because it would enable Democrats to pursue another round of reconciliation – a process outlined in the 1974 Budget and Impoundment Control Act allowing for Senate passage of budget-related
A Disaster of Misunderstanding: Constituent Service is at the Core of Governance
Kristin Nicholson | March 2, 2021
Ten days ago, his state reeling from extreme cold and widespread power outages, Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) made news in a most unfortunate way. As word spread that he had jetted off to tropical Cancun with his family, Congress-watchers, Texans, and most sentient humans were left aghast that an experienced politician would bail on
Three dynamics to watch in the 117th Congress
Matt Glassman | February 1, 2021
The 117th Congress began in earnest on January 20th with the swearing-in of President Biden. Here are three political dynamics to keep an eye on in the coming weeks. Party government vs. bipartisanship. The 117th Congress begins with the Democrats having majorities in both the House and Senate. This makes President Biden the fifth President
Politics by Other Means
Laura Blessing | January 12, 2021
I have been in Washington, DC, for the two major attacks of the past generation, on September 11, 2001, and on January 6, 2021. On 9/11 I was a college freshman. A sleepy morning narrowed quickly into a hyper-focused state as classes were cancelled and people became glued to their televisions. Around my dorm, I
Outlook for the NDAA in the 117th Congress
Katina Slavkova | January 10, 2021
The 116th Congress wrapped up its final days in a dramatic fashion by delivering the first and only veto override of the Trump Administration on New Year’s Day. It was probably fitting and not terribly surprising that this strong bipartisan legislative rebuke –
The 116th and the 117th Congresses: It’s bad but probably not as bad as you think
Josh Huder | December 3, 2020
Historic dysfunction may well be the credo of American politics in the 21st century. Congress appears hopelessly gridlocked. Pundits have run out of adjectives to describe the polarization plaguing American politics. And maybe worse, the mixed results of the 2020 Election defy easy analysis. The House Democratic majority lost seats, the Senate Republican majority