by jpitney | May 11, 2025 | Congress, House of Representatives
At The Hill, Don Wolfensberger explains the procedural trick by which House Republicans barred resolutions of inquiry: Last week a special rule was scheduled to consider just five matters, all resolutions to disapprove regulations promulgated during the Biden...
by jpitney | May 10, 2025 | Congress, House of Representatives, Senate
At The Atlantic, Yuval Levin writes that Congress was assertive in the 1980s and 1990s, but… The reasons for the subsequent decline in Congress’s stature and assertiveness are complex, but some of the very measures Gingrich took to consolidate power on Capitol...
by jpitney | Apr 11, 2025 | Congress, House of Representatives
Don Wolfensberger at The Hill: Back in the old days, if the House Rules Committee had four bills before it seeking a special rule for floor consideration, the committee would grant one special rule for each. In modern times, the committee, in order to save on time...
by jpitney | Mar 15, 2025 | Congress, House of Representatives, Trade
In 1987, Speaker Jim Wright (D-TX) created a new day in order to rush passage of a bill. Philip Wallach at The American Interest: Most dramatically, as Wright sought to push through a revenue-positive reconciliation bill following “Black Monday” in October 1987, his...
by jpitney | Feb 10, 2025 | Congress, House of Representatives, Senate, Transparency, Uncategorized, Volunteering
Philip Wallach at AEI: Key Points The 118th Congress passed 274 laws, fewer than any other since the Civil War. Other metrics confirm its poor productivity. It was also among the most omnibus-dependent congresses in American history. Especially in the House of...
by jpitney | Feb 9, 2025 | Congress, Elections, House of Representatives, Transparency, Volunteering
Mike Johnson: I believe that Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune have character and respect for their respective houses of Congress. I believe that of democratic leaders, as well, such as Hakeem Jeffries and senior statemen such as Steny Hoyer....
