Most people do not need a solid understanding of the internal workings and dynamics of Congress. However, without warning, it can become necessary to understand as much as possible regarding how Congress works. This is precisely what occurs when individuals find they must testify before Congress or they decide to become involved in grassroots advocacy. … Read more
There is often a misconception that drafting legislation is merely about writing, when the truth of the matter is that drafting legislation more accurately and frequently involves identifying, presenting and then resolving issues. Those issues could be related to policy or they might involve a technicality. Therefore, the most critical part of the legislative drafter’s … Read more
Ashley Austin has completed her certificate in Congressional Operations from TheCapitol.Net. The Certificate in Congressional Operations is awarded to participants in the program who have completed more than 75 hours of training about how congress works. “This coursework has improved my job performance immensely by connecting textbook knowledge of congressional operations with real-world experience,” she … Read more
Arresting Your Cash: How Civil Forfeiture Turns Police Into Profiteers The Washington Post has an interesting report about the huge amount of money that Fairfax County spends to go after gambling. The story cites critics who ask “why law enforcement spends valuable time and money on combating sports gambling.” The answer is obvious … Read more
When it comes to politics in Washington, most PR people continually operate in crisis mode. This is because it can seem as though there is always a fire to put out, a crisis to manage or preparing to handle a crisis. The way in which you prepare for a crisis often determines how well your … Read more
Understanding the basic rules and aspects of advocacy can prepare you to be a much better advocate for your client. photo credit: Steve Punter It is commonly assumed that the purpose of a trial is to discover the truth. This is actually not the primary purpose of a trial. As an advocate, one of your … Read more
The United States Constitution The War and Military Establishment Clauses are among Congress’ enumerated powers found in the Constitution of the United States, Article. I. Section. 8., clauses 11, 12, 13, and 14: Obama’s Unprecedented War Powers Claims (Clause 11 – War power) [The Congress shall have Power] To declare War, … Read more
There are many questions that must be considered regarding the drafting of any policy and one is whether Congress actually has the power to do whatever the policy calls for. It must be kept in mind that the federal government only has very limited as well as enumerated powers. Furthermore, the powers of Congress are … Read more
One of the most time-honored and common ways of effecting the outcome of legislation is to make contact with your elected officials and persuade them to take a specific stance regarding certain legislation. Even so, simply writing a letter to your senator or representative is not enough to convince them to take the desired action. … Read more