Director’s Desk
Kristin Nicholson | April 5, 2022
Dear Friends,
Happy spring! Last week, Congress received President Biden’s FY23 budget, a document that any legislative branch denizen will remind you is merely a proposal. The next couple of months will bring a slew of committee hearings, staff briefings, meetings with advocates, and member project requests as the appropriations committees prepare to mark up their bills.
This week will see the Senate’s confirmation of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court. There also appears to be agreement on a new package of Covid aid targeted at research and development of vaccines and therapeutics, testing, and studying potential new variants. Leaders hope to pass the legislation before they leave for Easter recess at the end of the week, but its fate is still unclear. And as the war in Ukraine continues and more atrocities come to light, calls will grow for the United States and the global community to do more, though key measures remain stuck in Congress.
In this month’s newsletter, Senior Fellow Laura Blessing shares an excellent look both back and ahead at the political and policy legacy President Biden and his administration might leave. And be sure to listen to our most recent “Congress, Two Beers In” podcast episodes. Last week, Senior Fellows Mark Harkins and Matt Glassman were joined by Jason Steinbaum, longtime former staff director of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, for a timely discussion of Congress and foreign policy. In February, Mark and Matt talked with Non-Resident Senior Fellow Sue Lagon about Supreme Court nominations and the FY22 appropriations deal.
Has it been a while since you’ve had a refresher on all things Congress? Or is there someone on your team who would benefit from understanding the Hill like you do? Our flagship Congressional Operations Seminar has been running online with great success, and we still have space in our May 16-19 session. This is a fantastic opportunity for folks across the country to access this popular training without having to travel. We can also tailor this course for a single-agency group over two, three, or four days, and we’ve trained thousands of executive branch personnel in this format over the past couple of years. Just let me know how we can help.
All the best,
Kristin
Categories: Director's Desk, Media Center, Updates