The 1986 Tax Reform Effort Shows that Republicans Have a Tough Road Ahead

October 11, 2017
Source:  https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/26 By Rob Oldham If there is one thing that unites Republicans as different as Donald Trump, Paul Ryan (WI), and Susan Collins (ME), it is a general… Read More

Kevin Drum: Bring Back Earmarks

October 5, 2017
Kevin Drum is yet another member of the coalition to bring back earmarks. He writes in the September/October copy of Mother Jones: “Earlier this year, California Gov. Jerry Brown… Read More

A Closer Look at a Trump-Schumer Deal to Eliminate the Debt Ceiling

September 19, 2017
Source: Bloomberg.com,  https://www.bloomberg.com/quicktake/the-debt-ceiling By Rob Oldham President Trump made waves in Washington when he agreed to a deal with congressional Democrats that provides relief from the damage caused by Hurricane… Read More

ICYMI: Why Congress Must Not Let the Debt Limit Crisis Go to Waste

September 14, 2017
Brookings Institution’s Stuart Butler writes: “‘Must pass’ legislation to increase the debt limit has long been used as the vehicle to pass other urgent or controversial bills, including changes in… Read More

Why Does the Senate So Rarely Consider a Budget Resolution?

August 9, 2017
The share of amendments to the budget resolution that are symbolic, 1993-2015. Source: Molly Reynolds, “Considering the budget resolution in the Senate: Challenges and consequences of reform,” May 2017. By… Read More

Confused by Reconciliation? Read This.

July 25, 2017
Molly Reynolds writes at the FixGov blog: “With Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) planning to try to begin debate on the Republican health care bill Tuesday, lots… Read More

ICYMI: Rep. Isakson Introduces Biennial Budgeting Bill

July 20, 2017
Rep. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga, writes at the Ripon Forum: “Over the last 37 years, since 1980, Congress has passed all 12 annual appropriations bills on time only twice. Too… Read More

Congressional Pay and Benefits at a Standstill, With a Cost

July 11, 2017
David Hawkings writes at Roll Call: “This is the longest period without a congressional raise since the decade ending in 1965, and there’s little likelihood the salary will change… Read More

What’s in the FY2018 House Legislative Branch Appropriation?

July 9, 2017
On June 29, the House Appropriations Committee approved fiscal year 2018 appropriations via voice vote. The bill calls for $3.58 billion of funding for House and joint-chamber… Read More

The Congressional Budget Office: “An Excellent Skunk at the Congressional Picnic”

June 22, 2017
At the Washington Post, Philip Joyce writes: “Trump’s Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Mick Mulvaney, recently said that ‘the time of CBO has probably… Read More