The National Emergencies Act of 1976
Do you ever get the feeling that your friends and coworkers are talking about an obscure federal statute that you have never heard of before? Have you recently been unable… Read More
No, getting rid of Congress is not a clever idea
Congressional majorities and President Donald Trump disagreed about how much money ought to be used to extend barriers running along our nation’s southern border. Their disagreement led to a partial… Read More
Will Congress score headlines or legislative wins in next session?
The 116th Congress may be doomed before it even begins. Less than one month before the new session gavels in for the first time, members of both the House and… Read More
What the Democrats should do on trade
Reflecting on the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1930 six months after its passage, Senator Reed Smoot (R-Utah) declared: “The improvement since passage of the act has been… Read More
Opinion: Will the Democratic House pursue Kavanaugh’s impeachment?
After last week’s midterm elections, Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) declared that Democrats in the next Congress will prioritize issues including ethics reform, infrastructure and healthcare. Some committee leaders, however, may… Read More
How to restrain the President: Congress and trade policy
Since his inauguration, President Trump has levied aggressive, unilateral tariffs on numerous products, which has triggered foreign retaliation against American exports. However, the controlling of international trade is originally Congress’s… Read More
Case studies highlight success of member-driven congressional oversight
Re-establishing Congress’ strength as an independent, functioning branch of government is a goal easier said than done. Officials and experts alike struggle to propose rubber-hits-the-road solutions — ones that, on… Read More
Who polices the administrative state?
Oversight is political. Deciding what (and how vigorously) Congress should investigate are inseparable from preferences about leadership and policy. Those are not universally shared. This seems as clear now as… Read More
Oversight for political purposes
Congressional oversight capabilities have become weaponized for political purposes by both parties. Supervisory power is most productive when used as a bipartisan tool to keep all elements of our government… Read More
Challenges in congressional oversight of U.S. interests overseas
With control of Congress at stake in the midterm election—including a real chance that Democrats could take back the House—legislative oversight and investigations are returning to the forefront… Read More