Thank you for the heads up about H.R. 7593. I fired off emails to both my Senators that I support it.
I see the other one has been sent to the President already (passed this week by both the House and Senate). As others have said, this is what you do best as larger media sources do not take the time to investigate our government and how it really gets work done.
Will this information related bill be used by congresspeople to get information in situations where the information is appropriately confidential? In this political climate I see the requests being made to gather data to politicize things rather than to write informed legislation. That doesn't mean the bill is bad - its more a reflection on my low level of trust in congresspeople to use information truthfully and appropriately, rather than for political gain. OTOH if its information they could get via FOIA, I don't see the purpose in making the researchers use that process.
Good question! Don’t believe it would meaningfully change access to classified info. Some CRS employees do have security clearance already, so the agency does occasionally handle classified material — but generally if a member wanted access to classified information, I doubt this is the channel they’d go through and I don’t think this bill would do much to change that. The bill also says the CRS has to “maintain the same level of confidentiality” for any of the information it receives as the agency that gave the info to them — and adds that the same statuary penalties for unauthorized disclosures would apply.
I think that you are speaking of the various Departments and the agencies within those Departments. Many of the agencies are operated by on legislation enacted in Congress. For example the Packers and Stockyards Act, enacted by Congress, governed by the Department of Agriculture whose head is nominated by the President and confirmed by Congress.
Thanks for the great info on the CRS somewhat less known to the general public than the CBO. This I the stuff you do best.
I signed in to make a comment along these very lines. I endorse your comment completely. Thank you!
Thank you both! This is the type of coverage I love to do — so I’m so glad to see people are getting value from it!
Thanks for another great teaching article, Gabe.
Thank you for the heads up about H.R. 7593. I fired off emails to both my Senators that I support it.
I see the other one has been sent to the President already (passed this week by both the House and Senate). As others have said, this is what you do best as larger media sources do not take the time to investigate our government and how it really gets work done.
Will this information related bill be used by congresspeople to get information in situations where the information is appropriately confidential? In this political climate I see the requests being made to gather data to politicize things rather than to write informed legislation. That doesn't mean the bill is bad - its more a reflection on my low level of trust in congresspeople to use information truthfully and appropriately, rather than for political gain. OTOH if its information they could get via FOIA, I don't see the purpose in making the researchers use that process.
Good question! Don’t believe it would meaningfully change access to classified info. Some CRS employees do have security clearance already, so the agency does occasionally handle classified material — but generally if a member wanted access to classified information, I doubt this is the channel they’d go through and I don’t think this bill would do much to change that. The bill also says the CRS has to “maintain the same level of confidentiality” for any of the information it receives as the agency that gave the info to them — and adds that the same statuary penalties for unauthorized disclosures would apply.
I think that you are speaking of the various Departments and the agencies within those Departments. Many of the agencies are operated by on legislation enacted in Congress. For example the Packers and Stockyards Act, enacted by Congress, governed by the Department of Agriculture whose head is nominated by the President and confirmed by Congress.
Get wise to the government's deception:
https://soberchristiangentlemanpodcast.substack.com/p/s1-scgp-the-government-deception