GovTrack’s Written Testimony to the House of Representatives on Public Access to Legislative Information
This week, the House’s Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee will hold a hearing. In anticipation, Joshua Tauberer has published online the testimony he submitted. Tauberer, who founded GovTrack.US… Read More
How Many Types of Appropriations Are There?
Illustration credit: Anthony McCann, “Forms of Appropriation: A Typology,” Public Budgeting and Finance , June 2016. According to Anthony McCann, there are 13 types. This is a big deal… Read More
House Votes to Increase Appropriations for Permanent Committees
Phillip Lohaus, Daniel Schuman and Mandy Smithberger report: Today [March 8, 2017] the Committee on House Administration took a small but important step to restore the House of Representatives… Read More
Congress and Fiscal Control
The way it is supposed to work, in short. Source: Congressional Research Service At the Library of Law & Liberty, Kevin R. Kosar writes: “Indubitably, our nation’s finances are… Read More
How to Put the “Most Complete and Effectual Weapon” Back in Their Hands
From the Library of Law & Liberty: Indubitably, our nation’s finances are a mess. America has run deficits 36 of the past 40 years. The national debt… Read More
Should Congress Bring Back Pork?
The University of Chicago’s Adam Chan certainly thinks so. He writes: “Congress passed a bill banning earmarks in 2010 with a rare combination of bipartisan support and President Obama’s… Read More
Should We Have a Long-term Budget for Entitlements?
Federal law treats Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and other entitlements as “mandatory” spending programs, which means they are not subject to the annual appropriations process like the rest of… Read More
Want Your Member to Testify for Strengthening the Legislative Branch?
Then promptly let the House’s Legislative Branch Subcommittee know by this Friday. Full details are below. HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEELegislative Branch Subcommittee INSTRUCTIONS FOR MEMBERS TESTIFYING AND… Read More
Earmark Ban Fosters Lettermarks
The R Street Institute released a new policy study by Bowling Green State University Profs. Russell W. Mills and Nicole Kalaf-Hughes that found a rise in lettermarking occurring after… Read More
Why Process Matters in Congressional Appropriations
Image credit: Congressional Institute, http://conginst.org/ By C. Jarrett Dieterle As past legislative sessions have come to a close amid threats of a government shutdown, we’re forced to wonder:… Read More