During my two decades in Washington, D.C., I have met innumerable current and former Hill staffers. When I mention that I worked for more than a decade at the Congressional Research Service (CRS), I almost inevitably get an ebullient response. “Oh, I love CRS. They have saved my bacon so many times.” These Hill veterans are […]
Believe it or not, some legislators are ...
Last week, a bipartisan delegation of legislators went to California to meet with big tech companies. The visit was led by Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wisc.) who chairs the House of Representatives Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party. Their meetings with Apple, Microsoft and other industry heavies focused on trade, intellectual property, technology and related […]
One thing Congress can do to help save t...
The U.S. Postal Service lost $1 billion last quarter, according to the agency’s most recent financial report. This is particularly distressing news because this red ink came during the holidays’ peak mailing season. The losses stem partly from inflation driving up operating costs: Gasoline, worker compensation and just about everything costs more. The bigger problem was […]
A must-have for spending negotiations: p...
The Electoral Count Act is fixed: Presid...
It was not easy, but Congress did what it took to prevent another Jan. 6. They rewrote the antiquated 1887 Electoral Count Act, which governs the counting of states’ electoral slates for president. President Joseph Biden approved this overdue reform when he put his name on the hulking Consolidated Appropriations Act in late December. For this, we all should […]
Can we put to rest the myth that Congres...
Last week, I attended a closed-door event that featured a speech by someone who works in state politics. He held forth quite thoughtfully and exuded an energetic mix of angst and hope for the future of our constitutional republic. The audience was rapt, most likely because we shared his concern about the health of our representative […]