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Norms, Precedents and Senate Confirmation
The Supreme Court vacancy created by Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s passing has thrust the Senate’s constitutional confirmation function into an already chaotic 2020 election cycle. Senate Majority Leader McConnell appears… Read More
ICYMI: Fixing the House means more staff pay and member budget sway, panel concludes
David Hawkings over at The Fulcrum writes about the latest set of bipartisan recommendations passed by the House Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress. He writes: “The… Read More
ICYMI: Members of Congress have lost control over spending
(This piece originally appeared in the Washington Post.) The Constitution affords Congress the “power of the purse”: “No money shall be drawn from the Treasury but in Consequence of Appropriations… Read More
Twelve Ways to Find Dirt in “Clean” Appropriations Bills
(This piece originally appeared in Legislative Procedure.) If Congress does not act soon, funding for approximately one-third of the Federal government will expire on Thursday, at the end of… Read More
For Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation process, the Constitution is on Senate GOP’s side
(This piece originally appeared in the Washington Examiner.) Republicans are poised to remake the Supreme Court in their image. On Saturday, President Trump nominated Amy Coney Barrett… Read More
Members of Congress are specializing less often. That makes them less effective.
In a new op-ed for the Washington Post, Craig Volden and Alan Wiseman make the case that Congress needs more expertise – and explain how to encourage changing that… Read More
ICYMI: Why Public Service? podcast interviews Amber McReynolds
“I think the first problem is most people do not understand how elections work and I would count the politicians in that. I think most elected leaders actually don’t understand… Read More
A new coalition to build a Congress that looks like America
Laura Maristany, the associate director of Democracy Fund’s Governance Program, shares key lessons from her own experience striving to reach senior-level positions on Capitol Hill, as well as from… Read More
Three things to know about what the Senate can do regarding Trump’s Supreme Court nominee
Sarah Binder, senior fellow of governance studies at the Brookings Institution, penned a piece in the Washington Post detailing the tools each party has in the Senate during the… Read More
Can the Senate Confirm a Supreme Court Nominee Before Election Day?
President Trump recently announced that he would name a nominee to fill the vacancy left by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg this Saturday, leaving 38 days… Read More