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Reposted by Laura Blessing

TechCongress @congressfellows.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

📣 Applications are OPEN for @congressfellows.bsky.social's 2027 Congressional Innovation Fellowship! Technologists: bring your technical expertise to the policymaking process in Congress. U.S. citizens & DACA recipients eligible. Apply by June 25 ➡️ techcongress.io/apply

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Laura Blessing @leblessing.bsky.social · 25/05/2026

“It’ll be easy-peasy-lemon squeezy” and/or the rejoinder “No, it’ll be difficult, difficult, lemon difficult” Or with more specific application: “you know they’re all kids in Washington. It’s like Bugsy Malone, but with real guns.” (Both from: In The Loop)

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Laura Blessing @leblessing.bsky.social · 22/05/2026

After some dithering, he voted to confirm. Hegseth’s qualities were hardly hidden during the time of his confirmation hearings. His no vote would have sunk the confirmation. This is a little rich. www.nytimes.com/2025/02/13/u...

nytimes.com

As Trump Threatened a Primary, a G.O.P. Holdout on Hegseth Flipped (Published 2025)

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Jennifer N. Victor @jenvictor.bsky.social · 04/04/2026

Not the main point here, but I do not ever recall a federal agency making significant programmatic and personnel changes as a result of the PRESIDENT'S BUDGET PROPOSAL, which does not change any law or funding allocations. Congress hasn't acted yet. What are we doing here?

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Laura Blessing @leblessing.bsky.social · 06/03/2026

The best thing I read today. Undermining and firing feds weakens us for so many efforts; great thread on diplomatic capacity.

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Laura Blessing @leblessing.bsky.social · 27/02/2026

New “Congress Two Beers In” podcast- @joshhuder.bsky.social , @mattglassman312.bsky.social and I talk appropriations, the SAVE Act, and tariffs. Chadha critique ahead… podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...

podcasts.apple.com

The Spending Deal, SAVE Act, and Tariffs

Podcast Episode · The Government Affairs Institute · February 26 · 49m

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Laura Blessing @leblessing.bsky.social · 03/02/2026

I’ve been reading @davidgreenberg.bsky.social ‘s excellent book on John Lewis and while the constitutional observer training has some differences I can’t help but think of the similarities to earlier organizing. I’d like to think Lewis and the people like Jim Lawson who trained him would be proud.

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Laura Blessing @leblessing.bsky.social · 22/12/2025

GAI’s December “On the Hill” newsletter, “American Scientific Research Depends on Congress” by @abankston.bsky.social , has important insights on how instrumental federal support has been to building American scientific dominance, as well as current challenges. gai.georgetown.edu/american-sci...

gai.georgetown.edu

American Scientific Leadership Depends on Congress - The Government Affairs Institute

Guest Post by Dr. Adriana Bankston, 2024-2025 AAAS-ASGCT Congressional Policy Fellow*This has not been a typical year for science in America. Going beyond the headlines is important to understand what...

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Laura Blessing @leblessing.bsky.social · 28/09/2025

Absolute pleasure being on @c-span.bsky.social Washington Journal this morning to talk about the (likely) government shutdown, what’s happened before, what shutdowns look like, and the ways this time is different

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Laura Blessing @leblessing.bsky.social · 12/06/2025

It is symbolic that the House has passed this as HR 4: the majority party gets HR (bill) numbers 1-10 to designate for their party’s policy priorities. Assisting in the executive branch’s unconstitutional undermining of congressional power is quite literally a House Republican conference priority.

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Laura Blessing @leblessing.bsky.social · 12/06/2025

What is far more significant is that Congress is codifying DOGE cuts that wrested away the congressional power of the purse, most prominently in shutting down USAID.

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Laura Blessing @leblessing.bsky.social · 12/06/2025

The last time a rescissions package initiated by a President was approved by Congress was for President Clinton; Trump tried and failed in his first term.

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Laura Blessing @leblessing.bsky.social · 12/06/2025

Passing the $9.4 B rescissions package requested by the White House, the extent of the cuts approved, and the individual cuts themselves, is a telling action for the House. Congress decides to rescind money regularly, but approving Presidential requests is far more rare.

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Laura Blessing @leblessing.bsky.social · 19/05/2025

www.nytimes.com/live/2025/05... The fractured House GOP that denied their Speakers a procedural majority last Congress is getting in line. Still plenty of hurdles ahead…

nytimes.com

Trump Live Updates: Key House Panel Approves Trump’s Megabill After Conservatives Relent

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Catherine Rampell @crampell.bsky.social · 04/04/2025

JFC. So far, Trump has caused markets to lose about 14%. Here's how the same period to date looks under other recent presidential terms

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Laura Blessing @leblessing.bsky.social · 05/03/2025

An extensive section praising tariffs on the very day that introduced tariffs caused markets to drop significantly (& as the US Economic Policy Uncertainty Index had just risen higher than both the pandemic and Great Recession) is remarkable & commits to pursue policy irrespective of economic effect

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Laura Blessing @leblessing.bsky.social · 05/03/2025

First mention of asking Congress for legislation in the joint session to Congress is a) revealing: comes an hour in, in a speech showing an executive shedding boundaries and b) asks for tax cuts, the Republican policy über alles

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Vanessa Williamson @vanessawilliamson.bsky.social · 04/03/2025

The NYT is reporting that the Trump Administration is planning to cut the IRS workforce in half. To do so would cripple the revenue service and therefore the functioning of the U.S. government.

nytimes.com

Trump Administration Pushes to Slash I.R.S. Work Force in Half

Losing half of its employees would severely strap the I.R.S., meaning Americans may have to wait longer to receive tax refunds.

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Laura Blessing @leblessing.bsky.social · 04/03/2025

Just gave a talk on floor procedure, am too depressed to add this as an example in future talks. Would love more ridiculous but harmless behavior, a Traficant hairdo and a “beam me up” (ok, bad example given the corruption charges; still)

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Laura Blessing @leblessing.bsky.social · 04/03/2025

@stephencolbert.bsky.social Please do a “better know a federal agency” series. So much material; maybe start with @altusaid.altgov.info

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Reposted by Laura Blessing

The Upshot @upshot.nytimes.com · 04/03/2025

Our visual examination of what DOGE has been mostly targeting and mostly leaving alone. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

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Laura Blessing @leblessing.bsky.social · 06/01/2025

New GAI “On The Hill” newsletter piece: my two cents on Jimmy Carter. Carter is both more nuanced & more relevant to today than is usually emphasized: in many ways he presages & hurries the turn towards Reaganism gai.georgetown.edu/signaling-th...

gai.georgetown.edu

Signaling the Right Turn: How to Understand Jimmy Carter | The Government Affairs Institute

Many political narratives on the late 1970s are incomplete, simplifying a politically complex legacy of President Carter, who died on December 29. Carter is both more nuanced and more relevant to Amer...

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Laura Blessing @leblessing.bsky.social · 04/01/2025

lol. Just imagine what havoc I’d wreak on Fed 10. Which is too bad; this crowd should recognize that factions can also be no bueno.

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Laura Blessing @leblessing.bsky.social · 03/01/2025

Giving Congress AI tools without increasing capacity for staff (lots of missed opportunities in the Rules package under consideration), is, as James Madison said, no bueno.

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Laura Blessing @leblessing.bsky.social · 03/01/2025

Continuing to enjoy the regular @mattngreen.bsky.social Speaker election/opening a new Congress commentary. Never change, CSPAN.

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Laura Blessing @leblessing.bsky.social · 03/01/2025

Agreed. Wonder if Norman and Self got anything for flipping votes. This whole episode has been pretty publicly silent on any such negotiations. Not that Chip Roy won’t spout off about his reservations regardless of what happens.

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Laura Blessing @leblessing.bsky.social · 12/12/2024

Absolutely. Looking forward to what he’ll do as an advocate from outside Congress but admittedly bummed to see him go.

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Laura Blessing @leblessing.bsky.social · 12/12/2024

This is nicely written. Lots of different ideas in here, but institutionalizing ModCom as a permanent committee and the possibility of having its recommendations have assured consideration on the floor are ones I’m most drawn to. I think the leadership of the committee matters- sad to see Kilmer go

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Laura Blessing @leblessing.bsky.social · 12/12/2024

New GAI On The Hill Newsletter piece out: @loreleikelly.bsky.social writes on the mission and successes of the Modernization Committee—and promising potential next steps. gai.georgetown.edu/modernizatio... This was a pleasure to edit & inspiring to watch my friend Lorelei work on these issues.

gai.georgetown.edu

Modernization in Congress: Keeping the Momentum Going | The Government Affairs Institute

Guest Post by Lorelei Kelly , Research Faculty Lead on Congressional Modernization at GeoDES, Georgetown Democracy, Education + Service, McCourt School of Public Policy Hidden beneath divisive campaig...

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Laura Blessing @leblessing.bsky.social · 08/11/2024

The fact that they’re indistinguishable is what’s so dangerous for democracy & democratic accountability

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Laura Blessing @leblessing.bsky.social · 07/11/2024

Obviously other things are going on but discussing the win of an authoritarian and his likely policies is not how I’d like to spend my evening.

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Laura Blessing @leblessing.bsky.social · 07/11/2024

I both think her (and Dem) policies would clearly help these folks more—but that is not getting through or convincing anyone. She made an unusually strong push on this specifically, but the idea that she was going to fix this in a 107 campaign was never possible.

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Laura Blessing @leblessing.bsky.social · 07/11/2024

(Honestly she made such a concerted push that I would critique the more populist parts of her policies-most of which I considered to be serious-to friends: no taxes on tips, the unspecified price gouging ban, calling a tariff a sales tax.) I wish we were well informed & serious enough to not do that

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Laura Blessing @leblessing.bsky.social · 07/11/2024

Democrats have been losing working class voters for a long time, and Harris made a genuine attempt to go after various cost of living (housing, groceries, medication, CTC, home health aids) policies to respond to those voters and those concerns in a shortened campaign.

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Laura Blessing @leblessing.bsky.social · 07/11/2024

She rescued a certain-to-fail Biden campaign and ran a nearly perfect campaign (ties up nomination in record time, breaks fundraising records, performs well at traditional markers: nominating campaign, wins the debate with Trump).

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Laura Blessing @leblessing.bsky.social · 07/11/2024

I think the retrospective analysis of what Harris could have done better is both a) a normal thing losing campaigns do and b) likely to be pretty unfair/missing the mark, given these two factors.

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Laura Blessing @leblessing.bsky.social · 07/11/2024

Just wrote this for work. Trump’s unusual control of the GOP, the weakening of the GOP/its old gatekeepers & the disconnect between econ performance and electoral fortunes (& the public’s misunderstanding of econ policy) undergird this election & the future. gai.georgetown.edu/the-governme...

gai.georgetown.edu

The Government We Deserve? | The Government Affairs Institute

Election Day 2024 is behind us. The country is taking stock of who we are and where we might be going. The final calls on some congressional races are still forthcoming, as predicted. There are many w...

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Reposted by Laura Blessing

Jennifer N. Victor @jenvictor.bsky.social · 07/11/2024

Postmortem election analysis lecture from my GMU classroom today now available. Slide deck and very amateur recording linked below. Instructors feel free to use these materials with attribution. jvictor.gmu.edu/wp-content/u...

jvictor.gmu.edu

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Laura Blessing @leblessing.bsky.social · 02/10/2024

They were deadly serious. There are many campaign lies but this may be one of the most serious ones for governance and accountability.

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Laura Blessing @leblessing.bsky.social · 02/10/2024

And that’s just covering Trump’s actions, per Vance’s claims; this comes after years of attacks on the ACA in Congress and over 60 repeal bills in the House.

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Laura Blessing @leblessing.bsky.social · 02/10/2024

This was a major campaign promise, an attempted use of nearly a year of maneuvering and a precious chance of the two they’d get to use reconciliation to advance legislation that didn’t need 60 votes.

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Laura Blessing @leblessing.bsky.social · 02/10/2024

When Senator McCain gave the Graham-Cassidy bill a thumbs-down in September, Todd said “John McCain saved my life.”

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Laura Blessing @leblessing.bsky.social · 02/10/2024

His liver started failing and we were lucky to get organs at all. After the surgery we watched the Senate stumble around; the House hadn’t given them something workable, but they also didn’t have a thought-through alternative.

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Laura Blessing @leblessing.bsky.social · 02/10/2024

He was on a transplant list as House Republicans tried and failed to pass their first repeal and replace bill, which the House Freedom Caucus thought kept too much of the ACA intact, then tried again with a harsher version.

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Laura Blessing @leblessing.bsky.social · 02/10/2024

He’d just finished up radiation when we watched the NYT needle swing the other way on election night. We hoped that surgery, the only way he’d live, might be a possibility when we met with staff in January, as Congress passed budget resolutions with reconciliation language to repeal ACA provisions.

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Laura Blessing @leblessing.bsky.social · 02/10/2024

Without it he couldn’t have come onto my insurance because of the cancer as a pre-existing condition. Lifetime caps, often $1 million, would’ve been met with his surgery alone, depriving him of most of the care he would have needed.

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