TOP LINE Happy belated Constitution Day to those who celebrate. This week both chambers are in session Monday through Thursday, with the Senate remaining so Friday. The House has scheduled some sort of continuing resolution vote for Wednesday or later that contains greater than 8% cuts below FY 2023 levels and authorization text on immigration and border-related stuff. … Continued
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Ahead of today’s expected votes on amendments to H.R. 4365 – Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2024, Demand Progress urges all representatives to vote YES on the following amendments made in order: Amendment #131 – Gaetz (FL), Jacobs (CA), Tlaib (MI), Tokuda (HI), Massie (KY), McGovern (MA), Salinas (OR), Lee (CA), Garcia (IL): Prohibits funds … Continued
TOP LINE Welcome back to the mess that is the appropriations process. We’re also considering this week how the Senate’s rules contribute to much of the action at the top of the news as Congress returns from recess. This week, the Senate is in session Monday through Thursday. The House returns from its recess on … Continued
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Ahead of the House Rules Committee House prepares to vote this week on which amendments to H.R. 4365, Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2024 will be made in order for a vote, Demand Progress sent members of the House Rules Committee a list of amendments it strongly urges the committee to make in order. Cavan … Continued
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Judge Mehta denied the motion filed by Demand Progress, American Economic Liberties Project, Open Markets Institute, and the Revolving Door Project asking the Court to provide a publicly available audio feed of the unsealed portions of the upcoming Google Search antitrust trial. In response to this news from Judge Mehta, Demand Progress Communications Director Maria … Continued
WASHINGTON, D.C. — This afternoon, the Senate voted to confirm Anna Gomez to the Federal Communications Commission, who will fill the fifth commissioner seat at the agency. In response to the Senate’s confirmation of Anna Gomez, Demand Progress Communications Director Maria Langholz issued the following statement: “Now that the FCC has a full commission, it must take … Continued
WASHINGTON, D.C. – As the House Rules Committee prepares to vote next week on which amendments to H.R. 4365, Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2024 will be made in order for a vote, Demand Progress sent members of the House Rules Committee a list of amendments it strongly urges the committee to make in order, including … Continued
WASHINGTON, D.C. — This morning, civil society organizations and think tanks hosted a U.S. v. Google pre-trial press conference to correct the record on Google’s false narratives and make the case that Google’s default agreements are an abuse of monopoly power. Below are key quotes from the press conference participants. Full audio and video of the event … Continued
TOP LINE The political and institutional dynamics that have defined the 118th Congress are building to a crescendo as recess comes to an end and the new fiscal year looms. This week we consider: How the far-right faction of the House GOP continues to maneuver successfully because of the procedural landscape it shaped at the … Continued
Each year, Congress allocates funding for the Legislative Branch entities through the Legislative Branch Appropriations Subcommittee. The Legislative Branch Appropriations bills direct congressional spending, line item by line item — but the instructions are not published as data and can run for dozens of pages, making it very difficult to see how appropriations spending has … Continued
TOP LINE With only 12 working days after recess to avert a federal government shutdown, the interfactional dynamics of the House remain unchanged. Last week, the House Freedom Caucus once again saber-rattled about a government shutdown and declared their objection to being jammed in December. The Senate also has conceded that this year’s farm bill will be late, too, … Continued
TOP LINE Yes, friends, we’re headed for a continuing resolution in September. What’s left to be worked out is how long it will be for, at what levels, and the measures that will ride along on the bill. (Disaster relief? A pet project? It will be a fun surprise.) But wait, there’s more: a possible government … Continued
TOP LINE Welcome to an abbreviated First Branch Forecast. We hope you’re on vacation and we’re looking forward to your creative OOO messages. WHAT WE’RE READING/WATCHING Congress shouldn’t create a new Pentagon slush fund, a commentary by William Hartung arguing that “using war spending to fund unrelated items was a bad idea during the wars in … Continued
TOP LINE It’s still recess. This week, we cover: The credit rating downgrade and how to get out of that hole Lessons from the federal Trump insurrection prosecution The bicameral hearing into problems at the Capitol Police And a smattering of other issues. CREDIT DOWNGRADE Our political leaders have managed to talk the markets into downgrading the … Continued