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The take down that wasn’t: Pelosi and yesterday’s House kerfuffle
Official portrait of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, photographed January 11, 2019. Late Tuesday afternoon, a rare level of excitement hit the floor of the House… Read More
Congress and the electoral college
https://www.legbranch.org/app/uploads/2019/06/Episode-1-The-Electoral-College.mp3 Should the electoral college be abolished? Prof. Julia Azari (Marquette University), Lee Drutman (New America), and James Wallner (R Street Institute) debate and discuss the electoral college and… Read More
Lessons on Congressional Reform from Donald M. Fraser
Source: Congressional Pictorial Dictionary. This month, former Congressman Donald M. Fraser (D-MN) passed away at the age of 95. For many observers of… Read More
ICYMI: Top Reads on Congress
Kate Ackley, “House modernization leaders seek consensus despite hurdles,” Roll Call. July 10, 2019: “In the committee’s first months, Kilmer and Graves have taken a bipartisan tack that is… Read More
Recent news on the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress
“So far, the panel has held six hearings, including its first on March 12. Kilmer and the top Republican, Tom Graves of Georgia, have hired three full-time staffers and… Read More
Video: How House leadership is chosen and trained: A conversation with Matthew Green
How is the speaker and the other leaders of the House chosen? What factors who wins these races… Read More
Who reaches the pinnacle of power in Congress, and why?
Few would dispute the critical role that party leaders play in Congress today. They are intimately involved in every stage of the legislative process. Leaders set the agenda, resolve disagreements… Read More
How McConnell blocked amendments on the defense bill
The Senate voted Monday to begin debate on the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 (S. 1790). Senators approved the motion to proceed to… Read More
Why members of Congress should get a raise, whether they deserve it or not
You’ve surely heard the old line, “The best Congress money can buy.” Typically, it’s said sardonically. In the classic formulation, it’s not your money doing the buying. It’s special interests… Read More
Modernizing Congress: Bringing Democracy Into the 21st Century
Download this report published by the Beeck Center of Georgetown University. Read More