As it relates to Syria: is it 2013 all over again?
Once again, the US military is ramping up the rate of air strikes against Syria. Some outlets have reported this as something along the lines of “Trump starts war with …
What the non-shutdown means to you
Shortly after midnight on January 20 the federal government, we are told, was shutdown. However most people haven’t noticed any differences in their daily life. CNN reports, “Essential services, such …
Time to abolish DST
Earlier this year Legislators in New Hampshire discussed the idea of ending the twice-yearly practice of adjusting clocks by 1 hour to either begin or end Daylight Saving Time (DST). …
Does the debt ceiling do any good?
The Washington Post recently answered the question: “Why does the debt ceiling exist?” In answering the question, they reported, “The debt ceiling was set up in 1917 so the [US] …
Does the system preserve the status quo?
The US Senate is an interesting legislative body with rules and procedures that make little sense to anyone who does not closely follow the legislative process. Many people believe that …
What the change to Rule 41 means for you
Despite a last-minute effort to halt the change, federal investigators received expansive powers on December 1. Reuters reports, “Democratic Senator Ron Wyden attempted three times to delay the changes, which… …
Do we really need time zones?
A couple of weeks ago most Americans, many in Arizona and everyone in Hawai’i excluded, “fell back” with the end of Daylight Saving Time. And as happens in this twice …
Omnibus spending bill violates your privacy
Many headlines recently proclaimed that Congress averted another government shutdown. Fewer headlines proclaimed that the $1.1 trillion omnibus spending bill included several “useless provisions” and provisions that are not directly …
Freedom Caucus wishlist won’t end partisan powerplays
When John Boehner last month announced his intentions to leave Congress, many thought the election of the next Speaker of the House would be relatively unexceptional. That all changed when …
Boehner’s resignation sets up Speaker election
After nearly 5 years as Speaker of the House, John Boehner has announced that he will be stepping down not only as Speaker but as a Congressman as well. This …