Not quite a year back, Rep. Mike Quigley, D-Ill., sought to do a little good for the American public. He offered an amendment to an appropriations bill that would require the Congressional Research Service to post publicly a list of the titles of its reports. Advocates for taxpayers and proponents for government transparency were delighted. […]
Where Taxpayers Pay ($100 Million a Year...
It seemed like a silly question, but as the new guy, I was obliged to ask: “Can I e-mail a copy of my report to my mother?” Mom had been a local reporter when I was a kid and worked for a county government in Ohio. She has always had a bottomless appetite for politics […]
15 Reasons Congressional Research Servic...
Each year, the agency publishes about 1,000 reports, which cover general subject matter, like advertising by the federal government and cloture in the U.S. Senate. Congress, not the CRS, owns them. That means nobody at the CRS is free to distribute its reports to anyone outside Congress — not without jumping through bureaucratic hoops. Unfortunately, our national […]
Five Reasons Why You Can’t Judge a Congr
by Kevin R. Kosar For the past six weeks, the media has bid a raucous good riddance to the 113th Congress. They have trashed it for its hyper-partisanship, for shutting down the government and for being in session so seldom. They also point to Congress’ 14 percent public approval rating. But most of all, the […]
Why I Quit the Congressional Research Se...
I had so many terrific experiences at the Congressional Research Service. I will never forget the feeling of taking the civil servant oath to uphold the Constitution. I adored my colleagues, and learned an immense amount about how government and politics operate. There I did things I could do nowhere else. I helped Congress write laws, […]
Commemorative Bills Plunge in 113th Cong...
For all the talk of congressional dysfunction, there is a bit of good news: Congress has spent less of its valuable time passing “commemorative” legislation. For this development, we can thank Republicans and leaders in the U.S. House. Last week, the New York Times’ Derek Willis reported that this Congress has enacted far fewer bills […]
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