Divided government sometimes overperforms expectations.
In a new New York Times opinion piece, James Curry and Frances Lee make the case that a Senate majority may not be necessary for progressive to get “ambitious things… Read More
Democrats Have Made It Easier for Republicans to Confirm Barrett
Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, announced that she intends to confirm Amy Coney Barrett to serve on the Supreme Court, reversing her prior pledge to vote no… Read More
With Amy Coney Barrett, Democrats hold a master class on how to lose a Senate debate
Shortly after President Trump nominated Amy Coney Barrett to fill the Supreme Court’s vacancy created by the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Senate Democrats vowed to do everything they could… Read More
What Happens Now in the Senate Judiciary Committee
(This piece originally appeared in Legislative Procedure.) After two marathon days of questioning, the Senate Judiciary Committee is poised to complete its review of Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination to… Read More
End confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominees
In USA Today, Ilya Shapiro, director of the Robert A. Levy Center for Constitutional Studies at the Cato Institute, makes the case for ending Supreme Court confirmation hearings for… Read More
Barrett’s confirmation may be certain, but these Senate hearings are invaluable
In the Washington Post, Adam J. White, a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, makes the case for why Supreme Court nomination hearings are important. “Yet despite all… Read More
Norms, Precedents and Senate Confirmation
The Supreme Court vacancy created by Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s passing has thrust the Senate’s constitutional confirmation function into an already chaotic 2020 election cycle. Senate Majority Leader McConnell appears… Read More
For Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation process, the Constitution is on Senate GOP’s side
(This piece originally appeared in the Washington Examiner.) Republicans are poised to remake the Supreme Court in their image. On Saturday, President Trump nominated Amy Coney Barrett… Read More
Members of Congress are specializing less often. That makes them less effective.
In a new op-ed for the Washington Post, Craig Volden and Alan Wiseman make the case that Congress needs more expertise – and explain how to encourage changing that… Read More
Three things to know about what the Senate can do regarding Trump’s Supreme Court nominee
Sarah Binder, senior fellow of governance studies at the Brookings Institution, penned a piece in the Washington Post detailing the tools each party has in the Senate during the… Read More