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Congressional pay is a victim of excessive transparency
It happened again last month. Despite the efforts of dozens of thoughtful reformers, risky political moves by leadership and incisive op-eds, legislators once again proved incapable of voting themselves a… Read More
The evolving role of the Senate parliamentarian
The Senate’s parliamentarian is an influential figure in present-day Washington. In 2016, former Speaker, Paul Ryan, R-Wis., reportedly recommended to Republicans that they closely follow the position’s current… Read More
The House is more courteous than you might imagine
Debate on the House floor heated up Tuesday over Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s comments regarding recent controversial tweets by President Donald Trump. During consideration of a Democratic resolution to… Read More
ICYMI: Top Reads on Congress
Casey Burgat, “The case against congressional term limits,” R Street Policy Study, July 18, 2019: “Put simply, term limits have proven to be a brain drain on legislatures. Naomi… Read More
Bring back the OTA? Not without a few changes
This spring, the House included $6 million to revive the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) in its draft appropriations. The nonpartisan agency, defunded in 1995, was responsible for helping… Read More
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