Revise & Extend
Elections Matter
Matt Glassman | November 2, 2020
On Tuesday, the United States will hold its 117th biennial federal election to fill seats in the House of Representatives and Senate, as well as its 59th quadrennial election to fill the office of President of the United States. Representatives elected will serve in the 117th Congress, from January 3, 2021 until January 3, 2023;
Supreme Court Appointments: Reform or Revenge?
Susan Sullivan Lagon | October 7, 2020
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s passing on September 18th reverberated throughout the nation and our institutions. Mourners congregated at the Supreme Court immediately following the news, with Mitch McConnell’s statement that the Senate would vote on President Trump’s nominee coming just over an hour after the Supreme Court’s announcement. The prospect of Judge Amy Coney
Norms, Precedents and Senate Confirmation
Josh Huder | October 2, 2020
The Supreme Court vacancy created by Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s passing has thrust the Senate’s constitutional confirmation function into an already chaotic 2020 election cycle. Senate Majority Leader McConnell appears poised for a pre-election rush to confirm Judge Amy Coney Barrett—in direct contravention of his previous statements about confirming Supreme Court nominees in election years and
Attempting to oust the Speaker of the House offers short-term nothing for long-term discomfort
Josh Huder | September 17, 2020
Reports emerged yesterday of a plan among House Freedom Caucus (HFC) members to oust Speaker Pelosi via a “motion to vacate the chair.” This motion has been a more frequent political tool recently. In 2015, the HFC used it against Speaker Boehner and threatened to do so again against Speaker Ryan in 2018 as a discharge petition to
Social Movements and Policy Change
Laura Blessing | September 8, 2020
How should we understand the fire this time? In the wake of the police murder of George Floyd, a movement has re-ignited for civil rights in general and against police brutality specifically. August 28 saw a March on Washington, 57 years after the original march with MLK’s famous “I have a dream” speech to crowds
Hearings Oversight in a Time of Covid
Katina Slavkova | July 1, 2020
At the end of season one of the popular HBO comedy series Veep, a panicked staffer from the Vice President’s office hurriedly solicits advice from a lawyer during a fundraising event. The staffer dreads being asked to testify before Congress because of his role in a series of hilariously incompetent crises. He urgently queries the
Director’s Desk
Kristin Nicholson | June 5, 2020
Dear Friends, As summer begins, Congress finds itself – like many Americans – grappling with overlapping crises and historic events. A global pandemic still rages, the U.S. economy has been devastated, and hundreds of communities across America have seen protests and demonstrations in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd in Minnesota. House
You’ve Got Mail: Voting in a Pandemic
Susan Sullivan Lagon | June 3, 2020
The pandemic has disrupted many things, including voting, the practice of democracy itself. As state primaries go by and the country gears up for November, some states are more ready for mail-in voting than others. Meanwhile, false claims have been circulated about mail-in voting having a partisan advantage (it doesn’t) or being
Lessons of Economic Recessions
Laura Blessing | May 6, 2020
In politics, we often learn the lesson of the last time. Our current economic troubles prompt comparison to previous episodes, particularly the 2007-2009 Great Recession. While the past six weeks may seem like an eternity to many Americans, we are early in the government response to this crisis, particularly its economic effects. The future
Congress in Crisis is Congress at Work
Matt Glassman | April 1, 2020
In response to the global coronavirus pandemic, three major bills were passed by Congress and signed into law by President Trump in March. On March 6, the president signed into law H.R.6074, an $8.3 billion supplemental appropriations bill, mostly aimed at providing additional funding for the Department of Health and Human Services to combat coronavirus.