ICYMI: Top Reads on Congress

Liz Hempowicz and Berin Szoka, “Political interference at DOJ threatens the rule of law, and Congress needs to act,” The Hill, June 27, 2019:

“The relationship between the White House and the Department of Justice rarely has been such a major and sensitive issue in political discourse…Congress should act now to reinforce the norm of DOJ independence — for this president and his successors.”

Representative Barbara Lee, “Trump, we live in a democracy,” The Hill. June 27, 2019:

“Regardless of whether the president reads and follows the Constitution, the House must live up to its Constitutional duty to keep the executive branch in check and make clear that the president cannot start a war unless and until he gets congressional authorization.”

Kevin Kosar, “Making sure Congress isn’t outgunned,” Cato Unbound, June 26, 2019:

“[A]ll of us seem to agree that Congress is ill-equipped to oversee, let alone make, good policy on highly scientific or technological issues. But as Betsy Hawkings rightly observes, the problem is bigger than a lack of access to technological expertise….”

James Wallner, “Who reaches the pinnacle of power in Congress, and why?” Law & Liberty. June 25, 2019:

“Despite the impact of leadership contests on what happens in Congress, political scientists in recent decades have mostly ignored them. Choosing the Leader: Leadership Elections in the U.S. House of Representatives fills this gap by offering what coauthors Matthew N. Green and Douglas B. Harris call ‘the first systematic analysis of party leadership elections in Congress since the 1970s’.”

John Bresnahan, “No pay raise for House members after GOP balks,” Politico. June 25, 2019:

“House GOP support for the pay raise evaporated after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) told POLITICO last week that he wouldn’t back a pay raise for senators.”

James Wallner, “How McConnell blocked amendments on the defense bill,” Legislative Procedure Blog.  June 25, 2019:

“After filing cloture, McConnell then moved to control the debate by filling the amendment tree (depicted in Chart 4) to prevent his colleagues from offering their own amendments without his permission.”

Lindsey McPherson, “Congressional Compensation: Isn’t there a select committee for that?” Roll Call. June 24, 2019:

“While member housing has come up in recommendations to the select committee about areas it should examine, member pay and a proposed cost-of-living adjustment have not, Kilmer and Graves said. ”

Rep. Derek Kilmer, Rep. Tom Graves, “The bipartisan effort to reform Congress,” CNN, June 21, 2019:

“Though we hail from different sides of the aisle, we’ve made a point to check our party cards at the door. Problem solving doesn’t have to have a partisan sticker. We’re proud to work together, and we’re already producing results.”

 

Molly Reynolds, “With spending caps looming, Congress repeats last year’s minibus strategy,” Brookings FixGov. June 21, 2019:

“Beyond these general factors that make omnibus legislating attractive, there are several considerations specific to this year that have made the minibus strategy attractive.”

Adam Carrington, “Gundy v. US was a chance to tell Congress they can’t regift legislative power,” Washington Examiner. June 21, 2019:

“But by a 5-3 vote, the Supreme Court upheld the law. The nondelegation doctrine, long dormant, remained so after Thursday. Or did it? While the outcome was troubling, the written opinions gave reason for hope.”

Berin Szóka, “Technical expertise is just the tip of the iceberg,” Cato Unbound, June 21, 2019:

“Thus far, we’re fighting over scraps: $6 million to restart the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA)? Pshaw! The two tech-focused agencies I work with—the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ($450 million) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ($312 million) have a combined budget 127 times larger than that. These are just two of an estimated 137 independent regulatory agencies. And they’re relatively small fry compared to, say, the Environmental Protection Agency ($8.8 billion) or the Food & Drug Administration ($5.7 billion).”

Betsy Hawkings, “Congressional tech knowledge must start at home,” Cato Unbound, June 18, 2019.

“The all-too-frequent allegation that “Congress is Broken” is clear. But among the most broken parts of Congress may be one that is not immediately visible to the public: the out-of-date technologies that undergird the operations of the place. If it weren’t for a hearing that unintentionally exposed a particular Senator still using a flip-phone, refusing to use email, or claiming to be a fan of “the Facebook,” there might be no public awareness of this tech deficit at all.”

Will Rinehart, “The political economy of expertise,” Cato Unbound, June 14, 2019.

“[T]he Government Accountability Office is expanding their tech assessment program. Congress also needs to reform their staffing processes to encourage stability and reduce turnover.”