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Options for increasing congressional capacity on complex regulatory matters
To: The Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress From: Philip Wallach, R Street Institute Reform: Options for Increasing Congressional Capacity on… Read More
The good, the bad, and the ugly: House committee authorizations edition
Follow the money. The cliche is typically employed by investigators looking to break a case. But the saying applies to Congress, as well. In order… Read More
Congressional capacity and reform: The role of staff
To: The Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress From: Tracy Sulkin, Professor, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Reform: Congressional capacity and… Read More
Fundraising requirements should not be a part of the chair/committee assignment process
Editor’s note: Over the next several weeks, LegBranch will be posting a series of reform proposal memos by congressional scholars. These proposals will take up a range of topics, including… Read More
News items, blog posts, and opinion (most recent first)
Kate Ackley, “Modernization panel calls for staffer HR hub, mandatory cybersecurity training,” Roll Call. July 26, 2019. Jory Heckman, “House Modernization Committee recommends bringing back Office of Technology… Read More
Technology
Kevin R. Kosar, “GAO versus the ghost of OTA: Who will win the science and technology assessment race?” March 20, 2019. Zach Graves: What to expect from GAO’s new… Read More
The national tide falls short in the U.S. Senate
On the same night that Democrats celebrated a 40-seat pickup in the U.S. House of Representatives, they failed to gain control of the U.S. Senate. Faced with the highest number… Read More
ICYMI: Top reads on Congress
Kate Ackley, “‘Dead billionaires’ and a tech Peace Corps? Lawmakers float ideas to fix Congress,” Roll Call: “Hoyer and other lawmakers also called on the committee to recommend better… Read More
In defense of passionate women
March is Women’s History Month, a fitting precursor to an even bigger celebration. On June 4, 2019, the United States will begin its centennial commemoration of the nineteenth… Read More
How the political parties leaned on legislative leaders for cash during the 115th Congress
One of the open secrets in Washington is that the Democratic and Republican parties both lean on their most powerful legislators to raise extraordinary amounts of campaign cash, often under… Read More