Congresswoman Maxine Waters will serve in the top Democratic position in the House Financial Services Committee, despite uncertain ethics, a past Office of Government Ethics (OGE) investigation, and a history of questionable fundraising.
Continue readingAnother reason for a fiscal cliff standstill: too many safe seats?
As “fiscal cliff” negotiations continue to slow to a standstill, Americans might be feeling frustrated about the inability of their representatives to reach a compromise. Wasn’t the election supposed to settle the argument? There are many reasons to explain the intransigence. Last week, we documented the ubiquitous lobbying on tax and budget issues that will almost certainly complicate any attempt to reach a deal. But there’s another factor to keep in mind: The majority of members of Congress have relatively homogenous constituencies. That means they’re probably hearing overwhelmingly from only one side of the argument back home, and facing limited pressure to find a compromise.
Continue readingPost-election campaign finance disclosures: What we are watching
Federal Election Commission voyeurs rejoice! Last-minute super PAC donors are about to be revealed.
More than 70 PACs have spent a combined $81.3 million more than they accounted for in donations before the election. Unless these super PACs found some loan sharks, the spending will be accounted for in last-minute donations that will be revealed in coming hours. Political committees must file their post-election reports with the Federal Election Commission by midnight Thursday. Some are filing early and we're posting as we see interesting tidbits.
Other super PACs are members of what we at Sunlight have dubbed the ...
Continue readingDid House Republicans pass over women for leadership roles because they were poor fundraisers?
When House Republicans announced their new line-up of committee chairs for the 113th Congress last week, the Washington buzz was that all were white men. Not a single lady was given charge of a committee. While we can’t rule out sexism, there’s another explanation that might be even simpler: money. In particular, money that House Republicans raised for their leadership PACs, organizations separate from their own campaigns that are used to help fellow candidates and generally demonstrate members’ fundraising prowess.
Continue reading2Day in #OpenGov 12/5/12
NEWS ROUNDUP:
- Audit finds FOIA lag: More than 70 percent of federal agencies have failed to update their Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) standards in the past several years, according to an audit by the National Security Archive. (Washington Post)
- 2012 campaign spending spree could spark reform: The campaign spending spree in the 2012 elections could inspire lawmakers to put restrictions on political money, according to a panel of election law experts. (Roll Call)
- FTC, FCC nominees face high-stakes agendas: Presidential nominees for the Federal Trade Commission and Federal Communications Commission face some hefty agendas if they are confirmed by the Senate. Both agencies have several controversial issues on their agendas. (Yahoo)
New Senate money man Michael Bennet has had fast rise to power
In appointing Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet as the head of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee the party will be getting a representative from a crucial western swing state whose 2010 election served as a model for President Barack Obama forging his winning campaign strategy.
Bennet first entered the Senate in 2009 as an appointee after then-Sen. Ken Salazar left Congress to serve as President Obama's secretary of the Interior. Plucked from his job as superintendent of Denver Public Schools, Bennet had never held elected office. But he went on to narrowly win a hotly contested race against GOP challenger ...
Continue readingMontgomery County’s New Open Data Bill
This afternoon, the Montgomery County Council voted unamimously in favor Bill 23-12, the Mongtomery County Open Data Act of 2012.... View Article
Continue readingEmerson was in formal talks with electric co-op days after reelection
On Nov. 19, nine business days after she won reelection with 72 percent of the vote, Rep. Jo Ann Emerson, R-Mo., began final negotiations for a new job with the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, official documents show.
According to ethics rules set in place meant to avoid conflict of interest, Members of Congress are required to file disclosures with the House Ethics Committee and the Senate Office of Public Records within three business days after they begin to negotiate for a future job while they are still in Congress. However, the definition of "negotiation" is left ambiguous and leaves ...
Mitt can’t quit Marriott
The big buzz about the Marriott Hotel company's decision to reach out and hire the unemployed -- or one of them, at least -- underscores the hospitality giant's knack for gathering and exercising influence in Washington.
The Missing Data Behind The Plum Book
The latest compilation of more than 8,000 federal jobs known as the Plum Book is out, and for the first time it is available in print, digital, and mobile format. There's still something missing, though, with this list that holds interest for the public and Washington, DC, power brokers: the data behind it. Every four years, the Government Printing Office (GPO) compiles this publication of positions that "may be subject to noncompetitive appointment," as GPO puts it. The book is important because of the information it provides about who is chosen to fill presidential-appointed and other positions. In short, it is the best, most authoritative list of senior positions throughout the executive branch. It originated in the 1950's during the Eisenhower administration, when the Republican Party requested a list of positions the president could fill, according to GPO. The Plum Book has come out every four years just after the presidential election since 1960. Anyone viewing the book (whatever the format) can look up positions by agency, position title, appointment type, pay, term expiration, and more. It is an incredibly rich source of information that has many possible uses. There are still barriers to accessing that information, however. The book is available on the GPO website in text and as a PDF, neither of which is an open format that would make sorting or reusing the underlying data a simple task.
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