The House Legislative Branch Appropriations Subcommittee just scheduled four budget hearings for next week, none of which will be webcast... View Article
Continue readingHouse rules package has new ethics clauses, strange wrinkles
Fresh off taking the oath of office earlier today, the new members of the House of Representatives are about to vote to adopt a set of rules and orders this afternoon. There are a few ethics-related changes that are significant. There are also some unusual new wrinkles.
One welcome change for watchdog groups, including the Sunlight Foundation, is the continuation of the independent Office of Congressional Ethics, which has to be reauthorized by each Congress. The terms of four board members -- Yvonne Burke, Jay Eagen, Karan English and Allison Hayward -- expired at the end of the last Congress but ...
Continue readingSenate Rules Changes: Sunlight’s Proposals for the 113th Congress
The United States Senate is a creature of its rules. Through its standing rules, laws and resolutions, precedents, and the consent of its members, the upper chamber carefully controls how legislation can be promulgated and debate can take place. Unlike the House of Representatives, which must vote on its rules every Congress, the Senate rarely reconsiders its standing rules in their entirety. An opportunity may arise, however, with the current debate over changing how the filibuster works. Here are Sunlight's major recommendations for updating the Senate's rules.
Continue readingHouse Rules Changes: Sunlight’s Proposals for the 113th Congress
Congress runs on rules. With the upcoming changeover from the 112th to the 113th Congress, the House of Representatives will adopt new regulations that innervate every aspect of legislative life. The last time it did this, in 2010, the House set the stage for greater openness and transparency in the lower chamber. At that time, Sunlight issued a series of recommendations, some of which were adopted. The House of Representatives made significant progress toward ensuring the people's house belongs to the people, from the new transparency portal docs.house.gov to expanded video coverage of House proceedings to retaining the Office of Congressional Ethics. In advance of the 113th Congress, we're issuing an updated set of transparency recommendations, each of which would mark a significant step towards increased transparency.
Continue readingFederal Agencies Continuing to Weaken FOIA
The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is a foundational law that guarantees US citizens the right to request and receive... View Article
Continue readingHouse Rules Committee Looks at Legislative Versioning
The House Rules Committee is looking into how to provide better context for legislation, by showing the difference between different... View Article
Continue readingThe House Rules: 112th vs 111th — a Redline
Before the holiday break, I compared the draft House Rules for the 112th Congress against the House Rules for the... View Article
Continue readingThe Proposed House Rules Package for the 112th Congress
House Republicans have published their proposed rules package for the 112th Congress here. It includes the bill that would instantiate... View Article
Continue readingOCE Renewed: Republican Leadership Adopts Ethics Watchdog
The Office of Congressional Ethics has a new lease on life now that the House Republican leadership has reportedly included... View Article
Continue readingOCE to Stay; Rules Draft Comes Tomorrow
Via Boehner’s twitter feed, it looks like OCE will survive the transition to the 112th Congress. Here’s the CNN story.... View Article
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