Washington Updates
Budget Reconciliation 101
Budget Reconciliation was born out of The Congressional Budget Act of 1974, which established the congressional budget process for determining national priorities. Reconciliation is a fast-track budgetary mechanism that enables...
Day One Decisions: Trump’s Executive Orders Set Administrations Tone
By Aliza Hart After President Trump was sworn into office Monday afternoon, he headed to Capitol One Arena to sign a series of executive orders, covering a wide range of...
Trump Administration Executive Order Tracker
Mere hours after his inauguration, President Trump issued a series of executive orders, signaling the start of his presidency with a decisive use of executive authority to enact sweeping changes...
Trump Cabinet Confirmation Hearings: How it is Going So Far
The confirmation hearings for President Trump’s cabinet nominees have been a mix of political maneuvering, intense scrutiny, and strategic positioning. Read about the hearings from this week below. Scott Bessent...
ILA and USMX Reach Tentative Agreement on New Six Year Contract
On January 9th, the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) announced they have reached a tentative agreement on a new six-year contract. The current contract...
Reflecting on the 118th Congress: A Year of Uncertainty, Leadership Shifts, and Legislative Struggles
The 118th Congress, which began in January 2023 and concluded at the end January 3 2024, was a period marked by political turbulence, high-stakes negotiations, and a divided government. As...
The Politics & Process Behind Upcoming Speaker Election
On January 3, the 119th Congress will convene, and the U.S. House of Representatives faces the critical task of electing its Speaker, the chamber’s presiding officer. While Republicans maintain a...
USTR Initiates Section 301 Investigation into China’s Semiconductor Industry Policies
The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) has launched a Section 301 investigation into the People’s Republic of China (PRC) concerning its actions and policies aimed at dominating...
Lawmakers Scramble as Funding Bill Falls Apart and Shutdown Looms
Even before yesterday’s publication of the 1,500+ page funding package, numerous conservative legislators in both the House and Senate had already voiced objections to the process and substance of Republican...