Director’s Desk
Kristin Nicholson | January 9, 2020
Dear Friends,
Happy New Year! I hope you all enjoyed a restful holiday because January is not going to be easing us into 2020 gently.
For Capitol Hill watchers, this month will be full of intrigue. While Speaker Pelosi continues to hold on to the House impeachment articles passed in December, indications are that she will transmit them to the Senate soon. This will pave the way for a trial to begin in that chamber, where Majority Leader McConnell has made clear his intention to proceed with arguments from House impeachment managers and the President’s defense team, before any further decisions on whether to call witnesses or examine additional evidence.
Meanwhile, Congress has turned to a major and urgent new priority amid the recent escalation of tensions between the United States and Iran. The House is preparing to vote today on a War Powers Resolution requiring the President to cease military operations against Iran absent formal congressional authorization or imminent attack on the US. Senior Fellow Josh Huder shared his thoughts on some of the constitutional and procedural issues at play with the resolution.
In this month’s newsletter, Senior Fellow Laura Blessing takes stock of how the past decade’s dramatic changes in campaign finance, party dynamics, and budget and appropriations politics have resulted in new challenges for party leaders.
Finally, if you’d like a deeper look at what’s ahead for Congress this year, we would be happy to tailor a Congressional Update class for your agency or organization. Let us know how we can help, and have a wonderful year.
Kristin
Categories: Director's Desk, Media Center, Updates