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Congressional Capacity and Presidential Unilateralism
Political scientists Alexander Bolton and Sharece Thrower offer an interesting, if not surprising, take on the use of executive orders by presidents since 1905. In short, congressional capacity affects… Read More
Bill Introduced to Establish a Joint Commission on the Organization of Congress
By Kevin R. Kosar A bipartisan proposal (H.Con.Res.28) to get Congress to rethink its organization, operations, and capacity has been re-introduced into Congress by Reps. Darin LaHood (R, Il)… Read More
Should Congress Bring Back Pork?
The University of Chicago’s Adam Chan certainly thinks so. He writes: “Congress passed a bill banning earmarks in 2010 with a rare combination of bipartisan support and President Obama’s… Read More
Should We Have a Long-term Budget for Entitlements?
Federal law treats Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and other entitlements as “mandatory” spending programs, which means they are not subject to the annual appropriations process like the rest of… Read More
February 23, 2017 Meeting: What Role Should Congress Play in Regulation?
RSVP here. Historically, Congress has delegated great authority to the executive branch when it came to regulatory matters. For the most part, the executive branch has… Read More
Can the Senate GOP Approve Supreme Court Nominees Without Going Nuclear?
Yes, writes Sean Davis at The Federalist, and the Senate can do so while allowing robust debate. The path, Davis argues, is via the “two speech” rule: “By enforcing… Read More
Want Your Member to Testify for Strengthening the Legislative Branch?
Then promptly let the House’s Legislative Branch Subcommittee know by this Friday. Full details are below. HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEELegislative Branch Subcommittee INSTRUCTIONS FOR MEMBERS TESTIFYING AND… Read More
What Place Will the Filibuster Have In the 115th Congress?
Photo credit: McConnnell.senate.gov by Rob Oldham For the first time in six years, we have unified government. With Republicans in charge of the House and the Senate… Read More
Save the Date: Next Meeting on February 23, 2017 at 12pm
Photo credit: VisitTheCapitol.gov Please hold the date for the next meeting of the Legislative Branch Capacity Working Group. We will meet on Thursday, February 23, 2017 from 12 to 1:30pm… Read More
Were the Staffers Who Worked on the Trump EO in the Wrong?
Or Is the Problem the House’s Guidance on Transition Work? By Michael L. Stern Last Monday, Politico reported that senior Republican staffers on the House Judiciary Committee… Read More