Events
Libya Motivates Members to Rally Together
When Hillary Clinton was told June 22 that House Republicans were scheduling two votes on Libya later that week, she reportedly asked, “Whose side are they on?” If that sounds reminiscent of a president telling other nations, “You’re either with us or against us,” welcome to the world of war rhetoric.
Democrats' Ethics Tactics Trigger Republican Backlash
March 31, 2008 By Don Wolfensberger,Roll Call Contributing Writer
With Congress at Low Point, Time for Reform Is Now
Former House Rules Committee staffer and Wilson Center expert Don Wolfensberger lays out a step-by-step plan to restore Congress’ “culture of lawmaking.” Committees—not party leaders—should control legislative work, he says, and campaign finance reforms are needed to shift attention from 24-7 fundraising.
‘Vote Pummeling' Can Soften Majority's Hard Line in House
June 4, 2007 By Don Wolfensberger,Roll Call Contributing Writer
Getting Back to Legislating: Reflections of a Congressional Working Group
Congress has changed dramatically over the last half century, from a culture of legislating to a culture of campaigning, according to a new report prepared for the Bipartisan Policy Center and the Wilson Center by Donald Wolfensberger, who is a scholar at each organization. The report finds that this culture is not conducive to bipartisan compromise or serious problem solving and contains suggestions for changes the new Congress could implement to effect a returned focus to legislating.
Congress and Trade Policy
With the recent economic recession, increased unemployment, and plant closings and relocations abroad, trade is becoming an increasingly prominent issue in the nine-way race for the Democratic presidential nomination. How do the President and his trade representative interact with Congress on pending bilateral and multilateral trade negotiations, and how will future trade agreements be affected by the new political mood in Congress and the nation? These are some some of the questions that were posed at this recent Congress Project seminar.
Omnibus Spending Bills Portend Ominous Consequences
September 25, 2006 By Don Wolfensberger,Roll Call Contributing Writer
National Urban Policy: Is a New Day Dawning?
One of President Obama's first orders of business in office was to create a White House Office of Urban Affairs to coordinate the various agencies working on pieces of urban policies. Mercedes Marquez of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and experts outside the government takes stock of the efforts to date.
The Politics and Processes of Congress
Remarks of Don Wolfensberger before the Executive Council on Diplomacy Briefing of Foreign Diplomats on "The Washington Roadmap: How Congress Works." April 8, 2004