Director’s Desk
Kristin Nicholson | December 2, 2021
Dear Friends,
Welcome to the final legislative sprint of 2021. While frantic Decembers have become the norm, this one could be a record-setter. At the beginning of the week I would have told you the easiest item on the to-do list was funding the government, but complications have arisen there as well. GAI Fellow Katina Slavkova shares a piece this month with much more on the FY22 appropriations outlook, so be sure to keep reading.
Also filed under “thorny issues”: lifting or suspending the debt limit, which could be reached as soon as December 15. And Senate negotiations on the Build Back Better plan continue following pre-Thanksgiving passage of the House version. Senate Majority Leader Schumer has promised a vote before Christmas, but many Hill-watchers are skeptical. That said, nothing motivates Congress like a holiday deadline.
Some of our former students will recall that the National Defense Authorization Act is one of the only bills that reliably moves through all the traditional steps of the legislative process. But with time running short and unresolved issues in the Senate, we’ve heard murmurings about a truncated process that could eschew the normal conference committee process. Stay tuned…
Finally, the former staffer in me was intrigued by some of the pandemic-spurred adjustments to daily life on Capitol Hill that may have staying power. Whether it’s dress-code conventions or remote work options and videoconferencing, these changes could have an impact on staff retention, diversity, constituent engagement and more.
As we close out another challenging year, all of us at GAI are so grateful for the opportunity to work with you. We wish you a joyful holiday season.
Kristin
Categories: Director's Desk, Media Center, Updates