“Why ‘gerrymandering’ doesn’t polarise Congress the way we’re told”
Harry Enten writes for The Guardian.
Category Archives: legislation and legislatures
“5 reasons gridlock will seize Congress again”
“Presidential Appointment Efficiency and Streamlining Act of 2011”
Senate Committee on Rules and Administration:
Jan 01 2013
With strong bipartisan support, the Senate passed S.679, the Presidential Appointment Efficiency and Streamlining Act of 2011, to reform the presidential nominating and Senate confirmation process. President Obama signed the… Continue reading
“The 113th Congress is the most diverse in history”
“Op-Ed: Harry Reid’s filibuster plan and the Supreme Court”
Steven Duffield:
The most dramatic impact of the Reid Plan will be with regard to the Supreme Court, where the House of Representatives plays no constitutional role. President Obama will likely fill between one and three Supreme Court… Continue reading
“Merkley, Udall Release Filibuster Reform Plan, Claim Between 48 and 51 Votes”
“House Ethics Amends Private Travel Rules”
Roll Call:
The House Ethics Committee announced on Thursday that it has adopted new regulations for accepting privately financed congressional travel, including heightened disclosure requirements and earlier approval deadlines.
The changes were the result of a working group convened by… Continue reading
“For Outgoing Lawmakers, Connections Mean Chance to Cash In”
Open Secrets and CBS News reports.
Meanwhile Sen. Bob Bennett is angry he had to wait two years after leaving office before being able to cash in as a lobbyist.
“Reid delays call on filibuster overhaul”
Politico: “He has a chance to go ‘nuclear’ Thursday, but instead Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid plans to punt a decision on the filibuster until later this month.”
“Oasis or Mirage: The Supreme Court’s Thirst for Dictionaries in the Rehnquist and Roberts Eras”
Jim Brudney and Larry Baum have posted this draft on SSRN.
The Supreme Court’s use of dictionaries, virtually non-existent before 1987, has dramatically increased during the Rehnquist and Roberts Court eras to the point where as many as one-third of… Continue reading
Filibuster Showdown Tomorrow?
While I’m on a plane to the AALS meeting tomorrow (speaking Friday on election reform/Voting wars), the 113th Congress will begin, and with it comes a single biennial opportunity for filibuster reform. It is not clear what, if anything,… Continue reading
“Ousting the speaker: House Republicans’ long history of regicide”
Joshua Spivak writes forThe Week.
Fewest Bills from 112th Congress
NBC News First Read:
In addition, just 219 bills have been passed into law — the lowest number since Congress began tracking this number in the 1940s. (And many of these bills were naming courthouses or post offices.) The previous… Continue reading
“In Congress, relatives lobby on bills before family members”
WaPo: “In 2007, in the wake of the biggest lobbying scandal in decades, Congress limited the ability of family members to lobby their relatives in the House or Senate. But it declined to ban the practice entirely. Since then,… Continue reading