Assessing McConnell’s Role in Judicial Confirmations
The Senate has spent much of its time in the 115th Congress confirming President Trump’s judicial nominations. Before the midterm elections, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., touted… Read More
Reforming the Senate’s hotline system
(Editor’s note: This piece originally appeared in Legislative Procedure on October 29, 2018.) Senators often blame their leaders whenever they are frustrated with how the Senate works. Yet they… Read More
‘Tis the season for changing how the Senate works
(Editor’s note: This post originally appeared in Legislative Procedure on October 22, 2018.) In the Senate today, the legislative process is centralized under the control of the party leaders… Read More
More heat than light: New Conservative amending activity in the U.S. House
For almost a decade, House Republicans from the Tea Party, Liberty, and Freedom Caucuses—to whom we give the collective label “New Conservatives”—have repeatedly and publicly clashed with House Republican… Read More
Nationalized elections and the 2018 U.S. Senate midterms
In the months leading up to the 2018 midterm elections, media outlets and academics have devoted considerable attention to the potential for Democratic gains in the U.S. House of Representatives. Read More
House “Dear Colleague” letter soliciting support for bipartisan rules reforms in the 116th Congress
Support Bipartisan Rules Reforms in the 116th Congress Sending Office: Honorable Derek KilmerRequest for Signature(s) Current cosigners: Kilmer, Buck, Rice, Bergman, Bustos, Gallagher, Bera, Biggs, Welch, Moulton,… Read More
New R Street policy paper: How young lawyers can help restore congressional capacity
Nearly eighty percent of Americans disapprove of the way Congress does its job. Much of the blame can be attributed to its failure to substantively address many of the policy… Read More
Congress and NAFTA 2.0
(Editor’s note: This piece originally appeared in Legislative Procedure on October 10, 2018.) The United States, Mexico, and Canada recently agreed to modify the North American Free Trade… Read More
New Nomination Rules and the Kavanaugh Nomination: Consequences for the Senate
The Senate, for the first time in over 200 years, is considering a Supreme Court nominee entirely under a majority process. Brett Kavanaugh is proceeding through the full confirmation… Read More
Lame ducks and congressional accountability
(Editor’s note: This piece originally appeared in Law and Liberty on October 3, 2018.) The ranks of those writing about the state of American governance have swelled recently… Read More