by jpitney | Feb 27, 2025 | Appropriations, Congress, Constitution, Elections, Separation of Powers, Transparency, Volunteering
Greg Ip at WSJ: Appropriations bills aren’t glamorous. But they are the one chance Congress gets each year to evaluate and direct the executive branch, said Eloise Pasachoff, a law professor at Georgetown University. “That’s why appropriations laws are thousands of...
by jpitney | Feb 16, 2025 | Congress, Presidency, Separation of Powers, Transparency, Volunteering
Don Wolfensberger at The Hill: It is clear from the Trump-Musk blitz that the president wanted to swiftly impose his will through executive orders before the courts and Congress could catch-up and reverse them. Musk’s DOGE team serves as a “heat shield” for the...
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....
by jpitney | Feb 8, 2025 | Congress, Elections, House of Representatives, Transparency, Volunteering
Don Wolfensberger at The Hill: Former Senate Majority Leader Lyndon Johnson (D-Texas) and House Speaker Sam Rayburn (D-Texas) were great party leaders in their time. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) probably comes closest to their caliber of leadership in...
by jpitney | Feb 5, 2025 | Congress, Elections, House of Representatives, Transparency, Volunteering
At the Niskanen Center, Soren Dayton, Josiah Watney offer a history of the House Rules Committee. The conclusion: From the 1930s to the 1960s, there were a series of fights over economics and Civil Rights. To accomplish their policy and political goals,...
