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Congressional Pay and Perks: Salaries, Pension and Retirement, Franking, Travel, and Other Benefits for U.S. Senators and Representatives

Congressional Pay and Perks

Congressional Pay and Perks
Salaries, Pension and Retirement, Franking, Travel, and Other Benefits for U.S. Senators and Representatives

Compiled by TheCapitol.Net
Authors: Ida A. Brudnick, R. Eric Petersen, Patrick J. Purcell, Mildred Amer, Matthew Eric Glassman, Jennifer E. Manning, Michael L. Koempel and Judy Schneider

Congress is required by Article I, Section 6, of the Constitution to determine its own pay. Prior to 1969, Congress did so by enacting stand-alone legislation. From 1789 through 1968, Congress raised its pay 22 times using this procedure. Members were initially paid per diem. The first annual salaries, in 1815, were $1,500. Per diem pay was reinstituted in 1817. Congress returned to annual salaries, at a rate of $3,000, in 1855. By 1968, pay had risen to $30,000. Stand-alone legislation may still be used to raise Member pay, as it was most recently in 1982, 1983, 1989, and 1991; but two other methods--including an automatic annual adjustment procedure and a commission process--are now also available.

2010, 294 pages
ISBN: 1587331659 ISBN 13: 978-1-58733-165-7
Softcover book: $19.95

For more information, see CongressPay.com

April 5, 2010 08:47 AM   Link    Comments (0)

Lobbyist Registration and Compliance Handbook

Lobbyist Registration and Compliance Handbook
The Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007 (HLOGA) and the Lobbying Disclosure Act Guide, House and Senate Rules, and Lobbying Regulations for Nonprofits

The Lobbyist Registration and Compliance Handbook is an easy-to-use manual that compiles information, forms, guides, rules and regulations governing federal lobbying, including an overview of HLOGA. The Handbook has 23 chapters and includes Lobbying Disclosure Act Guidance; user guides for the official Lobbying Disclosure Electronic Filing System; congressional rules for and examples of allowed and prohibited gifts, gift exceptions, travel, and conflicts of interest; gift-giving under executive branch regulations; the restrictions on lobbying after leaving the House or the executive branch; observations on lobbyists' compliance with the disclosure requirements; and a guide for lobbying by non-profits.

Softcover, 2009, 376 pages, $47.50
ISBN: 1587331527 ISBN 13: 978-1-58733-152-7

Complete Table of Contents, sample pages, and online ordering here.

June 6, 2009 08:57 AM   Link    Comments (0)

The Budget Reconciliation Process

Reconciliation legislation is used by Congress to bring existing revenue and spending law into conformity with the policies in a budget resolution. Reconciliation is an optional process, but since 1980, Congress has used reconciliation legislation to implement many of its most significant budget policies.

The reconciliation process has two stages--the adoption of reconciliation directives in the budget resolution and the enactment of reconciliation legislation that implements changes in revenue or spending laws.

Reconciliation is used to change the amount of revenues, budget authority, or outlays generated by existing law. In a few instances, reconciliation has been used to adjust the public debt limit. On the spending side, the process focuses on entitlement laws, but it may not be used to impel changes in Social Security law.

More

• The Congressional Budget Act of 1974 created reconciliation. (See Pub.L. 93-344, § 310; 88 Stat. 297; 2 USC § 641.)
• “The Budget Reconciliation Process,” Parliamentary Outreach Program, U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Rules
• “Legislating in Congress: Federal Budget Process” by Bill Heniff Jr. and Robert Keith, Ch. 9 in the Congressional Deskbook (TheCapitol.Net 2007) www.CongressionalDeskbook.com
• The "Byrd Rule" (2 USC § 644) outlines what reconciliation can and cannot be used for.
• "Summary of the Byrd Rule," Parliamentary Outreach Program, U.S. House of Representatives
• "The Budget Reconciliation Process: The Senate’s 'Byrd Rule',” by Robert Keith, CRS Report for Congress RL30862, March 20, 2008 (35-page pdf )

. . .

April 10, 2009 11:57 AM   Link    Comments (0)

Lawmakers Slow to Comply With New Filing Requirement

Scores of lawmakers missed a deadline to start disclosing their ties to political action committees as required by law. The law requires that any fund-raising committee must file as a leadership PAC “if the committee is directly or indirectly established, financed, maintained or controlled by a federal candidate or officeholder.” It was designed to allow the public for the first time to see all contributions received by lawmakers from lobbyists and general donors-- no matter which entity cashed the check.

Leadership PACs are generally used to support the campaigns of House and Senate colleagues--and thus win friends who might back pet projects--and finance party-building efforts.

The new disclosures were due at the Federal Election Commission by March 29. The deadline was set by the FEC as it implemented a larger campaign finance overhaul law passed in September 2007 (PL 110-81). While more than 230 lawmakers met the deadline, a significant number with known connections to leadership PACs did not.

The 92 PACS known to be controlled by members who have not filed or filed late raised more than $15 million during the 2008 cycle, according to an analysis by CQ MoneyLine.

Source: CQ Today Online News April 3, 2009

Find out more about leadership PACs and deadlines by listening to Capitol Learning’s audio program, “The Federal Election Commission’s Final Rules on Bundling and The Executive Branch rules on Gifts,” by Carol Laham of Wiley Rein, LLP.

More

• Federal Election Commission (FEC)
• CRS Report, “Campaign Finance: Potential Legislation & Policy Issues for the 111th Congress”, E. Sam Garrett, R40091 January 29, 2009 (19-page pdf )
• "PACs in a Nutshell," Capitol Learning Audio Course by Ned Monroe of the National Restaurant Association
• "PAC Management: Advanced PAC Strategy," Capitol Learning Audio Course by Steven Billet of The George Washington University

April 8, 2009 07:27 AM   Link    Comments (0)

Capitol Hill Workshop: Politics, Policy, and Process

Capitol Hill Workshop: Politics, Policy, and Process

Congressional decision-making is driven by politics, policy and process. In this engaging workshop, Washington-based experts discuss these 3 P's and help you understand the complete policy-making process.

This intensive 3-day course is held in Washington, DC.

Attend a congressional hearing and see the process in action. Materials include the Early Edition of the Congressional Directory and the Training Edition of the award-winning Congressional Deskbook. This course is designed for GS-12 and above, military officers, supervisory personnel, and Leadership Development participants.

• February 11-13, 2009
• 8:30 am to 4:00 pm all three days
• More information here

. . .

January 18, 2009 12:47 PM   Link    Comments (0)

Key Changes to House Rules 2009, 111th Congress

In one of the first official acts of the 111th Congress, the House adopted a Democratic package (H Res 5) setting the chamber’s rules for operation. In the resolution, adopted 242-181 on the opening day of the session, January 6, 2009, Democrats made several significant changes to previous chamber rules.

Term Limits for Committee Chairs

Elimination of the six-year term limit for committee chairmen, established in 1995 when Republicans took control of the House.

Motions to Recommit

Restrictions on the minority’s ability to order a bill reported back to committee. Under the new rules, the bills can no longer be reported back “promptly,” a vague term that has meant “never” in practice. Now, any vote to recommit an amended bill must include instructions that it be returned to the floor “forthwith,” meaning the House must vote on the amended bill within minutes.

Time Limit on Roll Calls

Rescission of a rule adopted in the 110th Congress that barred holding votes open with the intent of changing the outcome.

Pay-As-You-Go Budget Requirements

The ability to attach an emergency designation to entitlement spending bills that exempts those measures from pay-as-you-go mandates. A bill that does not meet pay-as-you-go requirements will be allowed to be linked procedurally with another piece of legislation that does have offsets. Legislation may receive an emergency designation “if such provisions are necessary to respond to an act of war, an act of terrorism, a natural disaster, or a period of sustained low economic growth.”

Medicare ‘Trigger’

Nullification, for the purposes of the 111th Congress, the requirement in the 2003 prescription drug law (PL 108-173) that if 45 percent or more of Medicare’s funding comes from general tax revenues for two years in a row, the president must submit -- and Congress debate -- legislation to slow spending.

Source: CQ Weekly, January 12, 2009

Additional Resources

• "The Motion to Recommit in the House of Representatives: Effects, Recent Trends, and Options for Change," by Megan S. Lynch, CRS Report for Congress RL34757, November 20, 2008 (28-page pdf )
• The New Congress 2009: Understanding The 111th Congress
• Capitol Hill Workshop: Politics, Policy, and Process
• The President's Budget
• Congressional Dynamics and the Legislative Process
• Understanding Congressional Budgeting and Appropriations
• Capitol Learning Audio Courses
  • Congress, the Legislative Process, and the Fundamentals of Lawmaking Series: How the House and Senate Establish Policy, Make Law, and Reconcile Differences, a 9-part course
  • The House Rules Committee: Gatekeeper to the Floor
  • The Appropriations Process in a Nutshell
  • Authorizations and Appropriations in a Nutshell
  • Congressional Committees and Party Leadership: Who Controls the Congressional Agenda

January 13, 2009 11:07 AM   Link    Comments (0)

The New Congress 2009: Understanding the 111th Congress

The New Congress 2009: Understanding the 111th Congress

Held in January and February of every odd-numbered year, in this 1-day course our experienced faculty provide an overview of the new Congress and explore how major issues are likely to fare in the first session.

** Space is limited. **

WHERE: Goethe-Institut, 812 Seventh Street NW, Washington, DC

WHEN: January 27, 2009, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm

More information and secure online registration here.

January 10, 2009 07:17 AM   Link    Comments (0)

The New Congress 2009: Understanding the 111th Congress

The New Congress 2009: Understanding the 111th Congress

Held in January and February of every odd-numbered year, in this 1-day course our experienced faculty provide an overview of the new Congress and explore how major issues are likely to fare in the first session.

** Space is limited. **

WHERE: Goethe-Institut, 812 Seventh Street NW, Washington, DC

WHEN: January 27, 2009, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm

More information and secure online registration here.

December 22, 2008 07:27 PM   Link    Comments (0)

Member Swearing-in and Inauguration Day Receptions, and Attendance at Inaugural-Related Events

The House Committee of Standards of Official Conduct released on November 20, 2008, a "Memorandum for All Members, Members-Elect, Officers and Employees" regarding "Member Swearing-in and Inauguration Day Receptions, and Attendance at Inaugural-Related Events." (2-page pdf)

Members can use campaign funds, so long as the events are not "campaign or political in nature."

The same day, the Committee released a "Memorandum for Departing Members" titled "Ethics Laws and Rules for Departing Members and Staff." (3-page pdf)

This memo helpfully reminds that House Rule 24 "generally precludes departing Members from participating in a CODEL for the reminder of their term...."

Congressional Deskbook: The Practical and Comprehensive Guide to Congress, Fifth Edition By Michael L. Koempel and Judy Schneider  Contributing Authors: Eugene Boyd, Peggy Garvin, Bill Heniff Jr., Henry Hogue, Robert Keith 2006 Benjamin Franklin Award Finalist Reviews 2007  · 716 pages Paperback   ·  8.2 x 10.8 x 1.5  ·  ISBN 1587330970   ·  $57  from TheCapitol.Net: Ships within 1 business day; quantity discounts. from Amazon:

Lobbying and Advocacy: Winning Strategies, Resources, Recommendations, Ethics and Ongoing Compliance for Lobbyists and Washington Advocates By Deanna Gelak Forthcoming December 2008 2008  ·  7 x 10   ·  516 pages   ·    Paperback  ·  ISBN 1587331004   ·  $57 Hardbound  ·  ISBN 1587331047  ·  $67   Lobbying and Advocacy Sourcebook Forthcoming December 2008 2008  ·  7 x 10 x 0.9  ·  416 pages   ·    Paperback  ·  ISBN 1587331055   ·  $45

November 24, 2008 01:57 PM   Link    Comments (0)

Capitol Hill Workshop: 2008 Election to be Cosponsored by TheCapitol.Net and Congressional Quarterly

From Congressional Quarterly (CQ) and TheCapitol.Net

	Capitol Hill Workshop: 2008 Election Intensive 3-day congressional operations workshop Learn how Capitol Hill really works.
	This Congressional Quarterly Executive Conference is offered exclusively by TheCapitol.Net

After this year’s historic election, TheCapitol.Net will hold its Capitol Hill Workshop: 2008 Election program from Wednesday, November 12, 2008 to Friday, November 14, 2008, at the Goethe-Institut in Washington, DC. Each day’s program will begin at 8:30 a.m. and end at 4:00 p.m.

The Capitol Hill Workshop: 2008 Election will provide attendees with the foundation for policy, politics, and process in today’s U.S. Congress with an emphasis on the outcomes of the 2008 election. Congressional experts will discuss congressional operations and the legislative process, politics and leadership in the new Congress, and what this election means for the 111th Congress and Congressional budgeting.

The Capitol Hill Workshop: 2008 Election lays the foundation for Washington professionals who want to learn and be more effective on Capitol Hill in the upcoming 111th Congress.

Q&A with all faculty throughout.

• November 12-14, 2008
• 8:30 am to 4:00 pm each day
• See web site for agenda, location and secure online registration.

For more information, see www.ElectionCapitolHillWorkshop.com.

October 7, 2008 10:27 AM   Link    Comments (0)

Congress in a Nutshell: Understanding Congress

Congress in a Nutshell: Understanding Congress

Our Washington insiders provide an exceptional overview of the process, the leadership and the politics of Congress for those who need to know more than the basics about the legislative branch.

Our basic Congressional primer is an intensive half-day session covering the House and Senate, their differences, congressional leadership and more. This class is an excellent introduction to Congress for anyone new to government affairs or needing a refresher.

• Wednesday, September 17, 2008
• 9:00 am to 1:00 pm
• More information here

. . . . . . . . .

August 27, 2008 04:47 PM   Link    Comments (0)

Working with Congress and Congressional Staff: Communicating Effectively with Capitol Hill

Working with Congress and Congressional Staff: Communicating Effectively with Capitol Hill

Congressional staff aren’t just your way through a member's door; they are the door. How do you get results from these vital, behind-the-scenes individuals?

Students learn from a former Member of Congress and find out what tools help entice staff to your side.

This course is designed to meet the executive core qualification, building coalitions/communications, by instructing individuals how to explain, advocate and present facts and ideas in a convincing matter, and how to develop an expansive professional network with other organizations.

• Wednesday, September 10, 2008
• 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
• More information here

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August 21, 2008 11:57 AM   Link    Comments (0)

The Budget Resolution in a Nutshell

The Budget Resolution in a Nutshell

A Telephone Seminar

Rules and regulations governing the contents and consideration of the budget resolution. Topics include:

• Enforcement by points of order
  
• Implementation
  
• The budget resolution in relation to other budgetary legislation
  
• Reserve funds

Open Q&A with the faculty included: Roy Meyers.

• Thursday, August 21, 2008
• 2 pm ET/1 pm CT/12 noon MT/11 am PT
• More information here

The Budget Resolution in a Nutshell Capitol Learning Audio Course Includes seminar materials. Audio Course on CD: $47 plus shipping and handling

July 25, 2008 08:17 AM   Link    Comments (0)

Congressional Pay and Perks

Congressional Pay and Perks

A Telephone Seminar

Are you interested in learning about congressional pay and perks? This program will provide an overview of congressional pay and pay increases; retirement benefits, including pension plans; and perquisites. Topics covered include:

• Current pay for Senators and Representatives and the three basic ways members can adjust their pay
  
• Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS), Federal Employees Retirement Act of 1986 (FERS), and Social Security
  
• Retirement under CSRS and FERS
  
• House and Senate perquisites such as parking privileges, free outpatient care at the Naval Medical Center, and the franking privilege
  
• An insider's look at the "small cities" on the House and Senate sides of the Capitol and in the House and Senate Office Buildings

Open Q&A with the faculty included: Ida Brudnick.

• Thursday, August 14, 2008
• 2 pm ET/1 pm CT/12 noon MT/11 am PT
• More information here

Congressional Pay and Perks Informed Citizen Series Audio Course Includes seminar materials. Audio Course on CD: $27 plus shipping and handling

July 23, 2008 07:07 AM   Link    Comments (0)

Advanced Legislative Strategies

Advanced Legislative Strategies

This advanced 3-day course in Washington, DC builds on the skills of those who have already learned the legislative process and basic congressional operations. In this course, participants learn how to develop high-level strategies and tactics to help educate Congress and influence legislation.

• August 6-8, 2008
• 9:00 am to 4:00 pm all three days
• More information here

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July 19, 2008 12:27 PM   Link    Comments (0)

Advanced Federal Budget Process

Advanced Federal Budget Process

In this 2-day course in Washington, DC you learn how the federal budget process really works from faculty members with years of subject-matter expertise. Study important terminology and get tips to protect your budgetary interests.

We provide a comprehensive overview of current budget politics and the federal budgeting process, so you gain the awareness and guidance necessary to increase your chance of boosting funds and minimizing cuts. Understand the budget resolution process as well as the differences between authorizations and appropriations.

Learn how to recognize various budget documents so you can use them most effectively. Students also discover performance-based budgeting principles and issues and OMB's tools for program performance assessment. Finally, we explore professional online budget research tips.

• August 4-5, 2008
• 8:30 am to 4:00 pm both days
• More information here

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July 14, 2008 08:37 AM   Link    Comments (0)

Preparing and Delivering Congressional Testimony

Preparing and Delivering Congressional Testimony

You know your issue better than anyone else. This 1-day course in Washington, DC, gives you the information and confidence necessary to testify before Congress, effectively presenting your case to Congress.

Our experienced faculty explores all aspects of testimony preparation including research, persuasion and the proper structure of both written and oral testimony. Participants learn delivery and listening techniques, ways to deal with anxiety and best practice techniques for addressing both Q&A sessions and challenging situations. You learn how to prepare congressional testimony and how to testify before Congress.

This course provides ample time to discuss concerns with faculty members while helping participants feel at-ease as they prepare testimony or actually deliver testimony on the Hill.

• Wednesday, July 30, 2008
• 9:00 am to 4:30 pm
• More information here

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July 11, 2008 06:37 AM   Link    Comments (0)

T-shirt: Congressional Totem Pole (as Drawn by a Former House Page)

T-shirt design from an anonymous former House Page: Congressional Totem Pole

See also

• "Guide for Congressional Pages"
  
• "The Manolo he recommends the shoes for Congressional pages"
  
• "What's the deal with . . . Congressional Pages?"

July 3, 2008 04:37 PM   Link    Comments (0)

Drafting Effective Federal Legislation and Amendments

Drafting Effective Federal Legislation and Amendments

This 1-day course in Washington, DC, helps anyone draft and revise bills and amendments, with lessons especially useful to those who prepare reports, legislation and other documents. In this course, instructors explain the role of the OMB, examining various formats and exploring ways to choose the most appropriate one for your issue.

We discuss how to:

• Define your audience and broaden your measure's appeal
  
• Assess existing law and policy objectives before putting pen to paper
  
• Structure bills and amendments to streamline the drafting process
  
• Comply with the U.S. Code rules of construction, style, grammar and punctuation guide
  
• Use drafting styles that work in your favor
  
• Apply drafting language to your ideas and goals via hands-on exercises

Course materials include the Training Edition of "Legislative Drafter's Deskbook," by Tobias A. Dorsey.

• Tuesday, July 29, 2008
• 9:00 am to 4:30 pm
• More information here

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June 24, 2008 02:07 PM   Link    Comments (0)

Senate Privatises Cafeteria

In a story rich with irony the Senate, led by Democrat Diane Feinstein, has voted to privatize its restaurants and food services. The House privatized twenty years ago. The result? Sort of like East and West Berlin.

"Food Fight," by Alex Tabarrok, Marginal Revolution, June 10, 2008

In a masterful bit of understatement, Feinstein blamed "noticeably subpar" food and service. Foot traffic bears that out. Come lunchtime, many Senate staffers trudge across the Capitol and down into the basement cafeteria on the House side. On Wednesdays, the lines can be 30 or 40 people long.

House staffers almost never cross the Capitol to eat in the Senate cafeterias.

"Senate Votes To Privatize Its Failing Restaurants," by Paul Kane, The Washington Post, June 9, 2008

More

• "Financial Audit: Senate Restaurants Revolving Fund for Fiscal Years 2007 and 2006," GAO Report GAO-08-463, March 7, 2008 (23-page pdf )
• "Financial Audit: Senate Restaurants Revolving Fund for Fiscal Years 2006 and 2005," GAO Report GAO-07-462, March 13, 2007 (20-page pdf )
• "Financial Audit: Senate Restaurants Revolving Fund for Fiscal Years 2004 and 2003," GAO Report GAO-05-297, March 10, 2005 (also available as a 19-page pdf )
• "Senate Dining Room: Where the elite meet," by The Hill Staff, July 16, 2003
• Senate Bean Soup
• The Members' Dining Room
• Capitol Dining Areas Open to the Public: House | Senate
• Restaurant Associates
• Capitol Hill: Map, Buildings, Hotels, Restaurants - from TheCapitol.Net
  
• Tyler Cowen's Ethnic Dining Guide
• Some of the places our faculty and authors like in "Faculty Favorites" on Hobnob Blog
• Washington Post restaurant reviews
• Washington City Paper restaurant finder
• Washingtonian magazine restaurant reviews

. . . . . . . . .

June 11, 2008 07:37 AM   Link    Comments (0)

Earmarks: Everything You Need to Know

This important course gives students a solid overview of the federal budget process, highlighting ways beneficiaries of earmarks, i.e., directed congressional appropriations, influence the legislative process. Students also learn how to formulate and implement political and lobbying strategies when making their case on the Hill.

Earmarks: Everything You Need to Know, 8:30 am - 4:15 pm, March 6, 2008, Washington, DC

For links to selected CRS Reports, legislation and articles on earmarks, see our Federal Budget Links and Research Tools. Also see our blog posts about earmarks and OMB's Earmarks database.

March 3, 2008 05:07 PM   Link    Comments (0)

C-SPAN 1 Viewer's Guide: Making Sense of Watching the House of Representatives

If you frequently watch House floor action on C-SPAN 1 and you don't always understand the floor process, this audio course will demystify House floor proceedings, explain the physical layout, and clarify Congressional jargon and phrases.

C-SPAN 1 Viewer's Guide
Making Sense of Watching the House of Representatives:
Legislative Procedure, Congressional Jargon, and Floor Plan
Informed Citizen Series Audio Course

January 10, 2008 09:17 PM   Link    Comments (0)

Congressional and Judicial Salaries, 2008

The 2008 salaries for Members of Congress and federal judges have been published. See our "Pay and Perquisites of Members of Congress" for details.

January 8, 2008 11:07 AM   Link    Comments (0)

"Congressional Deskbook" by Michael L. Koempel and Judy Schneider

The 5th Edition of the Congressional Deskbook is now available.

Congressional Deskbook, 5th Edition
By Michael L. Koempel and Judy Schneider
Contributing Authors: Eugene Boyd, Peggy Garvin, Bill Heniff Jr., Henry Hogue, and Robert Keith


The Congressional Deskbook is the comprehensive guide to Congress, now in its Fifth Edition. This 15 chapter publication explains the legislative and congressional budget processes along with all aspects of Congress.

January 7, 2008 06:27 PM   Link    Comments (0)

Should Federal Judges be paid the same as Members of Congress

For the past 20 years, members of Congress have linked their salaries to those of federal judges as a strategy to avoid the wrath of voters who think lawmakers are overpaid and do not deserve an annual raise.
. . .
Questions about the pay practice have been repeatedly raised in recent years, including by the National Commission on the Public Service, chaired by Paul A. Volcker, a former chairman of the Federal Reserve. The commission found that the buying power of judges has fallen behind inflation and that many law school deans, for example, earn more than federal judges.

"Judges, Congress and the Salary Link," by Stephen Barr, The Washington Post, April 25, 2007

A group of former U.S. Senators and Representatives is preparing to call for Congress to end the practice of linking the salaries of federal judges and those of members of Congress, if Congress is hesitant to raise its own salaries. To assist in this effort, Brookings scholars and their colleagues at the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research produced this paper to describe the history of interbranch salary linkage and to analyze it as policy. (The group includes former Senators Howard Baker, John Danforth, and Sam Nunn, and former Representatives Richard Gephardt, Henry Hyde, Susan Molinari, Leon Panetta and Louis Stokes.)

"How to Pay the Piper: It's Time to Call Different Tunes for Congressional and Judicial Salaries," by Russell R. Wheeler and Michael S. Greve, Issues in Governance Studies, The Brookings Institution, April 2007

More

• Pay and Perquisites of Members of Congress - from TheCapitol.Net
• Chief Justice's Year-End Reports on the Federal Judiciary
• "Salaries of Federal Officials: A Fact Sheet," by Sharon Gressle, CRS Report 98-53, June 25, 2004 (2-page pdf )
• "Judicial Salary-Setting Policy," by Sharon Gressle, CRS Report RS20278, March 25, 2003 (6-page pdf )
• "The Unpersuasive Chief: Are judges undercompensated? Maybe, but Chief Justice Roberts doesn’t make the case," by Matthew J. Franck, January 2, 2007
• "Underpaid And Overworked: The National Disgrace of Undercompensating Federal Judges, While Allowing Their Workload to Balloon," by John W. Dean, FindLaw, November 3, 2006
• "Insecure About their Future: Why Some Judges Leave the Bench," The Third Branch, February, 2002

May 8, 2007 10:07 AM   Link    Comments (0)

Congressional Directory 2007

The 2007 Congressional Directory is now shipping. It is available in both state-by-state and alphabetical versions.

Congressional Directory

March 30, 2007 09:27 PM   Link    Comments (0)

Congressional Directory 2007

The Congressional Directory 2007 is coming!

Our Directory of the members of the US Senate and the US House of Representatives, with color photos, and fold-out map of Capitol Hill will start shipping the last week of March, 2007. Committee membership was not finalized until early March, and the Directory is now in production.

Congressional Directory

2 versions are available: Alphabetical by last name (popular inside the Beltway), and State-by-State (popular outside the Beltway). Sample pages here.

Wire spiral bound for easy use.

$17.95.

March 15, 2007 05:27 PM   Link    Comments (0)

Gridlock

Gridlock is the natural gift the Framers of the Constitution gave us so that the country would not be subjected to policy swings resulting from the whimsy of the public. And the competition - whether multi-branch, multi-level, or multi-house - is important to those checks and balances and to our ongoing kind of centrist government.

Bill Frenzel, Guest Scholar, Economic Studies, The Brookings Institution (Congressman for the 3rd District of Minnesota from 1971-1991)

Training

• Congressional Dynamics and the Legislative Process
• Advanced Legislative Strategies
• The New Congress 2007
• Capitol Hill Workshop: Politics, Policy, and Process
• Tracking and Monitoring Legislation
• The President's Budget

Congressional Deskbook 2005-2007, by Judy Schneider and Michael L. Koempel

January 20, 2007 06:47 PM   Link    Comments (0)

What do the elections mean for your organization?

What does the change in power in Congress mean to your government relations and legislative affairs programs? Join us as our expert faculty describe this change and how it will impact your organization.

• Capitol Hill Workshop - Election Focus, November 15-17, 2006
• 2006 Congressional Election Update: Winners, Losers, and the Makeup of the 110th Congress, a telephone seminar on November 21
• White House Workshop: Players, Politics, and Policy, with an election focus, November 29-30
• The New Congress 2007, January 25, 2007
• The President's Budget, February 22
• The President's Defense Budget, February 29

Our 2007 Congressional Directory will be available in March, 2007.

November 8, 2006 06:07 AM   Link    Comments (0)

The Google-Like Pork Thing on the Internets

Bloggers have scored many significant victories in the political sphere in the past few years, bringing down some high-profile politicians in the process. Now they're starting to influence the legislative process, too. Which raises the question: Will they be around for the next phase, monitoring whether the projects they have pushed are funded appropriately and implemented properly?

A case in point: Earlier this year, members of the House and Senate took up the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act. The legislation would, its backers said, "create a Google-like search engine and database" that tracks $1 trillion in federal spending on contracts, grants, earmarks and loans. The bill quickly attracted dozens of co-sponsors. But then some senator or senators placed an unpublicized hold on the measure, slowing its progress.
. . .
The watchdog organization OMB Watch is in the process of developing its own database of agencies' spending under a $234,000 grant. Officials at the organization say its site, which was slated to debut in beta form in early October, does much of what the proposed federal site would do. Other experts, though, have their doubts about whether $15 million will be enough to do everything the bill envisions. And even the folks at OMB Watch acknowledge that neither they nor the government will be able to create a fully Google-like site for federal spending.

"Blog-islation," by Tom Shoop, GovExec.com, October 2, 2006

Maybe it could be based in West Virignia and called the "Robert Byrd Google-Like Pork Thing" ... or in Alaska and named the "Ted Stevens Internets Pork Tubes" ...

Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006, S. 2590, on Thomas

Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006, on Wikipedia

October 2, 2006 06:27 AM   Link    Comments (0)

Capitol Hill Workshop

Our next Capitol Hill Workshop, scheduled for September 13-15, 2006, is for anyone whose work requires that they have a broad understanding of Congress and Capitol Hill.

In 3 days, this seminar covers

• Congressional operations and the legislative process
• How public policy and foreign policy become law
• Politics and leadership in Congress
• The role of OMB in the legislative process
• How to communicate effectively with Congress
• The current trends in campaigns and elections
• The work of personal and committee staff and how you can build strong working relationships with staffers

Capitol Hill Workshop materials include the Congressional Directory and the award-winning Congressional Deskbook.

This CQ Executive Conference is approved for 1.6 CEU credits from George Mason University.

For more information, or to register, see www.CapitolHillWorkshop.com

July 24, 2006 07:27 AM   Link    Comments (0)

New blog, new books

Posting has been light at Hobnob Blog the last few months as we've been working on some large projects that are almost finished.

Tyler Cowen's Ethnic Dining Guide is now in blog format

Next month we will publish two new books and a new poster:

• "Legislative Drafter's Deskbook: A Practical Guide," by Tobias Dorsey, ISBN 1587330156, is getting rave reviews
  
• "Real World Research Skills: An Introduction to Factual, International, Judicial, Legislative, and Regulatory Research," by Peggy Garvin, ISBN 1587330075, is also getting rave reviews
  
• "Federal Regulatory Process Poster," by Ken Ackerman, will also be ready in June
  

Our quasi-regular "This Week in DC Reviews" will be back soon ...

May 22, 2006 10:57 PM   Link    Comments (0)

New wiki - Congresspedia

Congresspedia is a new wiki:

[Congresspedia] is the "citizen's encyclopedia on Congress" that anyone can edit. Congresspedia is a collaborative project of the Center for Media and Democracy (http://www.prwatch.org) and the Sunlight Foundation (http://www.sunlightfoundation.com/) and is designed to shine more light on the workings of the U.S. Congress.

It is starting with an article on every member of Congress.

Congresspedia

April 26, 2006 06:37 AM   Link    Comments (0)

Earmarks

The Americans for Prosperity Foundation Ending Earmarks Express has hit the road!

Follow Americans for Prosperity Foundation as we tour the country visiting the sites that have received the most egregious wastes of taxpayer dollars and fight to end the process of attaching hidden earmarks to legislation by our elected officials.

The Ending Earmarks Express

[Alan Mollohan's] seniority on the Appropriations and ethics cmtes raises larger and fundamental questions about the use and abuse of earmarks.

"Mollohan Story: A Game-Changer?" Hotline on Call, April 7, 2006

Also see

• More on Earmarks
  
• Earmarks
  

April 10, 2006 07:37 AM   Link    Comments (0)

"TX 22: Storied Career to End When DeLay Leaves Hill"

Tom DeLay’s rise to the pinnacle of influence on Capitol Hill was characterized by iron-fisted control over his House Republican colleagues, and a cozy relationship with lobbyists.

The former House majority leader’s slide from that perch, which appeared complete Monday night as word spread that he was abandoning the Texas seat he has held since 1985, began as he and some of his closest associates sank into a quagmire of legal and ethical allegations, many of them related to the associations he built with K Street.

And as the whiff of scandal grew stronger, DeLay’s House colleagues, many of whom had respected or feared him not long ago, quickly turned elsewhere for leadership, despite DeLay’s insistence that his troubles were politically motivated attacks orchestrated by Democrats.

DeLay’s decision to leave Congress comes after a key former aide, Tony Rudy, pleaded guilty March 31 to a conspiracy charge in the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal.
. . .
CQ rates the general election race as No Clear Favorite. Please visit CQPolitics.com’s Election Forecaster for ratings on all races.

"TX 22: Storied Career to End When DeLay Leaves Hill," by Daniel J. Parks, CQPolitics.com, April 4, 2006

• "Exclusive: Tom DeLay Says He Will Give Up His Seat," by Mike Allen, TIME, April 3, 2006
• "Q&A: Tom DeLay Talks with TIME," an interview of Tom DeLay by Mike Allen, TIME, April 3, 2006

April 4, 2006 06:27 AM   Link    Comments (0)

"First Hill Hearing To Be 'Live-Blogged'"

The rise of blogs within Washington made this breaking news inevitable: A House subcommittee for the first time will make room for citizen journalists to "live-blog" a congressional hearing.

The International Relations Subcommittee on Global Human Rights, Africa and International Operations will hold the hearing Wednesday at 10 a.m., and the topic is most appropriate. The panel will examine the role that U.S. companies like Google and Yahoo play in filtering Internet content in countries like China.

"First Hill Hearing To Be 'Live-Blogged'," Beltway Blogroll, February 13, 2006

• Committee on International Relations, U.S. House of Representatives, Subcommittee on Africa, Global Human Rights and International Operations
• Hearing: The Internet in China: A Tool for Freedom or Suppression? February 15, 2006, 10:00 am, Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2172

More

• CRS Reports
  • "Internet: An Overview of Key Technology Policy Issues Affecting Its Use and Growth," by Marcia Smith, John Moteff, et al., 98-67, December 20, 2005 (53-page pdf )
  • "Internet Development and Information Control in the People's Republic of China," by Michelle Lau, RL33167, November 22, 2005 (15-page pdf )
  • "Internet Privacy: Overview and Pending Legislation," by Marcia S. Smith, RL31408, October 19, 2005 (25-page pdf )
• "Google, Yahoo Accused Of “Irresponsible” Chinese Censorship," by Brittany Thompson, webpronews.com, July 28, 2004
• "Yahoo, Chinese police, and a jailed journalist," by Robert Marquand, The Christian Science Monitor, September 9, 2005
• "Criticism of Yahoo!'s role in prosecution of journalist Shi Tao," Chinese Law Prof Blog, September 10, 2005
• "China’s Control Over Search Engine & Blog Content," by Loren Baker, Search Engine Journal, January 14, 2006
• "Google agrees to China censorship," AP via CNN, January 25, 2006
• "Google Now Censoring In China," Search Engine Watch, January 25, 2006
• "Comparisons of Google China and Google," BoingBoing, January 26, 2006
• "No booze or jokes for Googlers in China," Declan McCullagh, CNET News.com, January 26, 2006
• "Microsoft, Yahoo, Google Call For Help Against Chinese Rules," by Axxel, Playfuls.com, February 2, 2006

Congressional Directory 2006

February 14, 2006 12:07 AM   Link    Comments (0)

The light in the dome of the Capitol Building

Q: When the light is on/off does that signify something? I can see the light from my apartment, e.g., it was on all night and went out for a while.

The lantern is lit when one or both houses of Congress meet in night session. Although there is not a legal requirement for the night lighting or a record of when the lighting began, it is believed that the practice started in about 1864, when members lived in boardinghouses and hotels near the Capitol.

"§ 6.11 The Lantern and Flags," Congressional Deskbook 2005-2007, by Judy Schneider and Michael L. Koempel (2005).

In an email, Mike Koempel told us: "On Tuesday [December 13, 2005], the House recessed at 5:17 pm until 6:30 pm. The Senate in the meantime adjourned at 6:21 pm. So, there were nine minutes when the lantern would have been doused before the House reconvened and the lantern was re-lit."

More

• "The Capitol Dome," from the Architect of the Capitol
• "Temple of Liberty: Building the Capitol for a New Nation," online exhibit from The Library of Congress
• The United States Capitol Historical Society, Online Exhibits
  • "Where Freedom Speaks: Two Hundred Years of the U.S. Capitol"
  • "The Capitol Collection: Artwork at the U.S. Capitol"
• U.S. Capitol Virtual Tour, from the U.S. Senate web site

. . . . . .

Technorati Tags: U.S. Capitol

December 17, 2005 12:57 PM   Link    Comments (0)

Current Party Numbers in the House

With the election today of John Campbell to replace Christopher Cox, the party numbers in the House are:

• Republicans 231
• Democrats 202
• Independents 1
• Vacancies 1

See our Congress by the Numbers.

Technorati Tags: capitol hill, congress

December 7, 2005 04:45 PM   Link    Comments (0)

U.S. Congress Votes Database - Washington Post

Today the Washington Post launched a news website, The U.S. Congress Voters Database, that allows users to browse data from the 102nd Congress (1991) to the 109th Congress (present).

"Washington Post Launches U.S. Votes Database," by Sabrina Pacifici, BeSpacific, December 5, 2005

Technorati Tags: capitol hill, congress, legislation, legislative research

December 6, 2005 08:14 AM   Link    Comments (0)

Current Party Numbers in the House

With the resignation of Congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham from the House, the party numbers in the House are:

• Republicans 230
• Democrats 202
• Independents 1
• Vacancies 2

See our Congress by the Numbers.

The Clerk of the House shows different figures (only 1 vacancy, due to the resignation of Christopher Cox on August 2, 2005 to become chairman of the SEC) because the House is currently not in session and thus can not technically "receive" Cunningham's resignation.

Reminder - a good way to keep current with the latest congressional news is a free subscription to the CQ Midday Update.

November 30, 2005 03:05 PM   Link    Comments (0)

"Capitol Hill Blog Row"

Today I joined other bloggers (listed here) at the first ever Capitol Hill Blog Row (almost all of today's posts below are dedicated to the event). The event was organized by the House Republican Conference and when all was said and done we bloggers had the opportunity to talk with 23 members of the Republican caucus.

"Thoughts on Capitol Hill blog row," by Tim Chapman, townhall.com, October 20, 2005

Roundups: Eric Pfeiffer, Suitably Flip, and Right Side Redux (with links to video)

See "Bloggers 'Probably Not' Considered Journos," Hobnob Blog, October 14, 2005

October 21, 2005 06:47 AM   Link    Comments (0)

CRS reports about the confirmation process

Reports about judicial nominations and the confirmation process from the Congressional Research Service (CRS)

• "Types of Committee Hearings," by Richard Sachs, June 24, 2004, 98-317 GOV (pdf)
• "Evolution of the Senate’s Role in the Nomination and Confirmation Process: A Brief History," by Betsy Palmer, March 29, 2005, RL31948 (pdf)
• "Supreme Court Nominations Not Confirmed, 1789-2004," by Henry Hogue, March 21, 2005, RL31171 (pdf)
• "Constitutionality of a Senate Filibuster of a Judicial Nomination," by Jay R. Shampansky, June 14, 2005, RL32102 (pdf)
• "Cloture Attempts on Nominations," by Richard S. Beth and Betsy Palmer, April 22, 2005, RL32878 (pdf)
• "Senate Consideration of Presidential Nominations: Committee and Floor Procedure," by Elizabeth Rybicki, July 1, 2003, RL31980 (pdf)

Also See

"CRS reports about presidential nominations," Hobnob Blog, October 12, 2005

"Senate Judiciary Committee, Nominations," a collection, from the Library of Congress, of "floor debates (Senate debate while in Executive Session), votes, hearing transcripts and Senate statements (statements made about the nominees outside of Executive Session) of four Supreme Court nominees which were not confirmed by the U.S. Senate": Robert H. Bork; G. Harrold Carswell, Clement F. Haynsworth; and Homer Thornberry.

October 20, 2005 01:13 PM   Link    Comments (0)

"Bloggers 'Probably Not' Considered Journos"

Bloggers would "probably not" be considered journalists under the proposed federal shield law, the bill's co-sponsor, U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar (R.-Ind.), told the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) Monday afternoon.

Lugar emphasized, however, that debate is not yet closed on how to define a journalist under the proposed law.

"As to who is a reporter, this will be a subject of debate as this bill goes farther along," he said in response to a question from Washington Post Deputy Managing Editor Milton Coleman. "Are bloggers journalists or some of the commercial businesses that you here would probably not consider real journalists? Probably not, but how do you determine who will be included in this bill?"

The bill is necessary to help the United States regain its status as an "exemplar" of press freedom, Lugar told the IAPA. "Even as we are advocating for free press (abroad)... we'd better clean up our own act," Lugar said.

"Shield Law Sponsor: Bloggers 'Probably Not' Considered Journos," by Mark Fitzgerald, Editor & Publisher, October 12, 2005

October 14, 2005 07:00 AM   Link    Comments (1)    TrackBacks (1)

CRS reports about presidential nominations

There are several CRS reports available about presidential nominations (pdf)

• Changing Senate Rules: The "Constitutional" or "Nuclear" Option, by Betsy Palmer, (RL32684) April 5, 2005 (pdf)
• Cloture: Its Effect on Senate Proceedings, by Christopher Davis and Walter Oleszek (98-780 GOV), June 10, 2003 (pdf)
• Cloture Attempts on Nominations, by Richard Beth (RS20801), Dec. 11, 2002 (pdf)
• Constitutionality of a Senate Filibuster of a Judicial Nomination, by Jay Shampansky (RL32102), October 3, 2003 (pdf)
• Filibusters and Cloture in the Senate, by Richard Beth (RL30360), March 28, 2003 (pdf)
• Senate Considerations of Presidential Nominations: Committee and Floor Procedure, by Elizabeth Rybicki (RL31980), July 1, 2003 (pdf)

October 12, 2005 06:35 AM   Link    Comments (0)    TrackBacks (2)