Director’s Desk
Kristin Nicholson | July 25, 2024
Dear Friends,
It feels like we’ve said “unprecedented” so often recently, it’s starting to lose its meaning. But there is really no other way to describe the past few weeks (and indeed, months and even years). July is typically a busy time on Capitol Hill, but not usually for the reasons we have seen this month.
Of course, there was the tumultuous aftermath of the June 27 presidential debate, President Biden’s ultimate decision to step away from his re-election campaign, and the rapid coalescence of the Democratic party around Vice President Kamala Harris’s candidacy. We have also seen a robust congressional response to the shocking July 13 assassination attempt against former President Trump, including a House Oversight Committee hearing which was followed quickly by the resignation of Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle. The shooting has also prompted the creation of a bipartisan House task force to further investigate the incident.
Overshadowed by these mega events has been the demise of the House Republican leadership’s plan to pass all twelve FY25 appropriations bills before the August recess, largely due to intraparty squabbles over funding levels and policy riders. Instead, House leaders plan to send members home today – a week early – with only five funding bills passed thus far. And the Senate’s progress hasn’t been any better: none of their bills have even made it to the floor yet. We can surely expect to see a Continuing Resolution in September; the big question is likely to be whether it’s a relatively short-term patch, or if members push to kick the can all the way into next year.
With all of this swirling, it can be easy to forget that only a few weeks ago, the Supreme Court released a massive decision in Trump v United States, which gave former presidents “absolute immunity” for certain official acts and will have profound near- and long-term implications. To help us parse through the decision is GAI Non-Resident Senior Fellow Susan Sullivan Lagon, who shares with us this month a deeper look at the case itself, as well as the historical context in which it should be understood. It’s always a treat to publish Dr. Lagon’s pieces, so be sure to take a look.
With that, we hope you enjoy the rest of a summer that has flown by way too fast. See you in September!
Best,
Kristin
Categories: Director's Desk, Media Center, Updates