Events
A Debate Worth Having on Emergency Offsets
Hopeful budget watchers predicted that Congress would have fairly smooth fiscal sailing now that statutory spending caps are in place. That obviously underestimates the ability of Members to whip up their own squalls.
Ditched Minibus Money Bill Paves Way for Massive Omnibus
December 10, 2007 By Don Wolfensberger,Roll Call Contributing Writer
Revisiting the Budget Control Act Is Inevitable
The dispute this spring between the House and Senate over whether a congressional budget resolution is even necessary this year highlights difficulties down the road as the two houses weigh-in with widely divergent spending numbers writes Don Wolfensberger in Roll Call.
Congress Is Always Reluctant to End Wars Unilaterally
March 12, 2007 By Don Wolfensberger,Roll Call Contributing Writer
Getting Back to Legislating: Reflections of a Congressional Working Group
A group of former Members of Congress, staff and scholars has urged Congress to return to a culture of legislating and abandon the election centered culture that has produced hyper-partisanship and gridlock. The experts suggest the transformation will not require major changes in rules and procedures, but rather leadership-led encouragement of a more deliberative legislative process in committees and on the floor.
The Politics of Energy
As gasoline prices remain high across the nation and Congress grapples with creating a national energy policy, the Wilson Center held several meetings exploring energy politics--from the current bill's passage through Congress to Asia's growing demand for natural gas, to the increased need for U.S.-Canada cooperation over the gas supply.
Procedural Plotting Joined Paul Revere on Road to Independence
July 3, 2006 By Don Wolfensberger,Roll Call Contributing Writer