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Jonathan Bydlak

Director, Governance, R Street Institute & Director of the Fiscal and Budget Policy Project

Jonathan Bydlak is the Director of the R Street Institute’s Governance Project and also Director of the Fiscal and Budget Policy Project, as well as a member of the Legislative Branch Capacity Working Group. He is the editor of LegBranch.org.

Previously, Jonathan was the founder and president of the Coalition to Reduce Spending, and headed the Institute for Spending Reform. He is the creator of SpendingTracker.org, a real time spending data site, which he will continue running at R Street.

Jonathan received his A.B. in economics with minors in finance and political economy from Princeton University. He subsequently worked in finance at Bridgewater Associates and oversaw Ron Paul’s 2008 Presidential fundraising operation.

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The Known Unknowns: Planning for the Next Emergencies

August 7, 2023
As global threats escalate, policymakers should focus on fortifying the federal budget against future emergencies and encouraging solutions that lessen the burden when such events arise. Executive Summary The national… Read More
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Reforming the Electoral Count Act is a step in the right direction

July 21, 2022
by Jonathan Bydlak, Ryan Williamson, Matt Germer The Electoral Count Act (ECA) has been in desperate need of reform since it was enacted in 1887. It was… Read More
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What do we currently know about the Build Back Better Act?

November 18, 2021
UPDATED: 11/18/2021 4:05 PM With news sources reporting that a vote on the Build Back Better (BBB) Act, the Biden administration’s signature piece of legislation, could come as early… Read More
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Coalition Urges Strengthening Article I and Increasing Oversight Capacity

July 23, 2021
Dear Vice Chair Shelby and Ranking Member Braun, We the undersigned right-of-center organizations and individuals write to express our support for strengthening Congress, and rebuilding its capacity for policymaking and… Read More
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Everyone Won with Ranked-Choice Voting in New York City

July 10, 2021
by Jonathan Bydlak and Matthew Germer Initial Election Night results in the New York City mayoral contest seemed to declare the race all but over. Brooklyn Borough President Eric… Read More
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Congress must seize the opportunity to claw back its power

June 18, 2021
By Dylan Hedtler-Gaudette and Jonathan Bydlak The Biden administration issued its proposed $6 trillion budget on the Friday before Memorial Day, making it easy to overlook the… Read More
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Can Republicans and Democrats finally address the national debt?

March 2, 2021
Perhaps the most surprising outcome of the 2020 elections is the narrowness of the governing margins in Congress. While Joe Biden was expected by most observers to be the next… Read More
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RSI’s Governance Program Supports the Capitol Hill Community

January 12, 2021
The violence at the Capitol last Wednesday was appalling to all of us who value civil discourse and respect institutions and procedural norms. We share in the anger and frustration… Read More