By Lee H. Hamilton Now that the conventions are over, I know that all eyes are on the fall presidential campaign. But I’m going to ask you to shift your focus a bit, to Congress. Don’t do it as a […]
Tag: Congress
News Briefs
Vermont House asks Congress to let students file for bankruptcy
With national student loan debt tripling to more than $1 trillion over the past decade and Vermont’s graduates stuck with the highest debt-to-earnings ratio, state lawmakers are urging Congress to let students file for bankruptcy. On Monday, May 2, members […]
Op - Ed
Those who know Congress best are shaking their heads
By Lee H. Hamilton I had the good fortune last week to spend some time in Washington, D.C., with about a dozen former members of Congress. As you’d expect, we got to talking about the current Congress. Very quickly it […]
Opinion
Vermont’s right to know is under attack
By Gov. Peter Shumlin I’ll admit that I don’t understand how Washington D.C. and Congress work most of the time. For years, Republicans in Congress have thrust the institution into perpetual gridlock, so much so that it struggles to fulfill […]
Letter
Sadly, Congress seems okay with being weak
By Lee H. Hamilton Not many people outside of Capitol Hill paid attention last month when the congressional leadership released next year’s legislative schedule. Its headline feature is a strikingly long summer recess: half of July and all of August, […]
Opinion
Governing by crisis isn’t governing at all
By Lee H. Hamilton After Congress came a hair’s-breadth from shutting down the Department of Homeland Security a few weeks ago, members of the leadership tried to reassure the American people. “We’re certainly not going to shut down the government […]
Opinion
The president and the Congress should work together on military intervention
In his speech last week outlining his plans to use military force against the jihadists of the Islamic State, President Obama gave Congress only passing mention. “I have the authority to address the threat from ISIL,” he said. “But I […]
Opinion
Why incumbents keep getting reelected
By Lee H. Hamilton It’s no news that Congress is unpopular. In fact, at times it seems like the only real novelty on Capitol Hill would be a jump in its approval rating. So here’s the interesting thing: nearly three-quarters […]