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Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:15:00 GMT
The Senate voted Saturday night to allow the health care reform debate to proceed to the Senate floor. Senior Fellow Henry Aaron cautions that any legislation to revamp the system must be fiscally responsible and should improve the quality of care. He says lawmakers have many long discussions ahead of them.
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Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT
Speaking before the Senate Budget Committee, Senior Fellow William Galston discussed how the Untied States’ current fiscal course is unsustainable. The level of deficits, debt, and borrowing from abroad projected for the next decade threatens not only our economic prosperity, but also our currency, global leadership, and national independence, he asserted. Galston recommended that an independent, bi-partisan commission be created to address the challenge of developing a sustainable fiscal policy.
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Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT
The Senate voted 60-39 to approve cloture on the Commerce-Justice-Science appropriations bill, effectively blocking the controversial amendment that would bar the 2010 Census, unless it collected data on citizenship and immigration status. Audrey Singer responds to this news, and shows that though the Census will continue, the issue still remains.
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Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT
In light of the news that a group of ten senators has called for the creation of a bipartisan commission on the budget to create a long-term plan to reduce budget deficits, Isabel V. Sawhill cautions that failing to institute such a plan could lead to slower growth or an economic crisis, along with reduced flexibility to get the economy moving again or handle a new international threat.
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Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT
On the first anniversary of President Obama's victory, Justin Vaïsse explains the delay in enacting major domestic reform by pointing out the continuing partisan polarization and the importance of checks and balances, especially the power of the Senate.
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Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT
"Opt-out” has become the most powerful phrase in the health care debate, thanks to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s decision to include it in Senate legislation. If particular jurisdictions do not like a public option, they simply can exit the government health insurance system for uninsured residents. This is a very American idea, writes Darrell West. However, from a governance standpoint, the public option creates a worrisome precedent for other policy areas.
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Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT
Post-partisan politics is seen as providing a cure for whatever currently ails American politics. Charles Jones explores post-partisanship and the various forms of partisanship that currently exist in Washington. Although conventional wisdom tells us that we must move beyond partisanship, Jones concludes that partisanship continues to serve as the basis for the workings of American politics. Simply put, partisanship is the way lawmaking works in representative government.
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Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT
Charles Ebinger and Lea Rosenbohm say President Obama's decision to use $3.4 billion dollars of stimulus money to begin developing a smart grid is a welcome development. Ebinger and Rosenbohm look to how the smart grid will help benefit providers and consumers while noting additional steps that will be required moving forward.
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Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT
In a recent op-ed in Roll Call, the Brookings and Duke Immigration Policy Roundtable offered substantive recommendations on how to usher in immigration reform, including enhanced enforcement of workplace laws, new legalization standards, the establishment of an independent standing commission and engagement with the Mexico on cross-border population issues.
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Tue, 20 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT
While the United States faces budget deficits and economic challenge of a scale not seen in decades, earmarks and wasteful "pork" continue to be built into defense policy bills. Peter Singer explains why, especially during a time of war and economic crisis, this wasteful behavior can hurt defense priorities while funding unneeded projects.
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Wed, 14 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT
Henry Aaron argues that it is essential that the health care reform bill authored by Sen. Max Baucus and recently passed by the Senate Finance Committee undergo some modification if it is to truly expand coverage, improve care and drive down costs.
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Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:00:00 GMT
Event Information:
- October 08, 2009, 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM
Comprehensive health care reform legislation is moving through Congress. Democrats and Republicans have relied on vast amounts of research, including public opinion polls, to shape their positions and formulate policy solutions. Pundits and legislators alike regularly cite what the American people want in the final reform package. But just how complete is this research? On October 8, Brookings and WorldPublicOpinion.org unveiled new survey research about public attitudes on health care reform.
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Thu, 01 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT
Senators Kerry and Boxer recently unveiled their climate bill calling for the creation and funding of a string of energy innovation hubs that are dedicated to clean energy technology development and deployment. Mark Muro and Sarah Rahman reviewed the bill—especially as it impacts metro and regional areas—and noted its similarities and differences with the House of Representative's climate bill, Waxman-Markey.
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Tue, 29 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT
President Obama's decision not to go to Congress for help in establishing reasonable standards for the continued detention of Guantánamo detainees is a failure of leadership in the project of putting American law on a sound basis for a long-term confrontation with terrorism, writes Benjamin Wittes. It is bad for the country, for national security and for civil liberties, and represents a virtually wholesale adoption of the failed policies of his predecessor.
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Tue, 29 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT
Henry Aaron discusses the likely demise of the public option and laments that such a minor issue has continually diverted attention from reform issues that really count - how to create health insurance exchanges, what powers to give them, how much insurance people should have, what subsidies low-income households need to make that insurance affordable, and how to change health care delivery to realize the full potential of modern medicine.
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Wed, 16 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT
After months of preparations and negotiations, Senator Max Baucus, chairman of the Finance Committee, unveiled his health care bill. Henry Aaron offers a review of the proposed plan, observing that it is unclear whether enough Democrats will vote for the tax increases or spending cuts necessary to pay for any bill they are willing to support.
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Tue, 15 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT
During testimony before the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, Gary Burtless stated that the basic system of financing unemployment insurance is scandalously out of date and recommended that Congress consider a basic overhaul of the system.
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Tue, 15 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT
Advice and Dissent explores the state of the nation's federal judicial selection system -- a process beset by deepening partisan polarization, obstructionism, and deterioration of the practice of advice and consent.
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Sun, 13 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT
The United States Constitution states that "no title of nobility shall be granted by the United States," yet it seems political nobility is as American as apple pie, writes Stephen Hess. In developing a robust ranking of the country’s most prominent political families, Hess tracks the constant shift in America’s long history of dynastic politics.
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Fri, 11 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT
As the heated health care debate continues, Michael Fullilove weighs in on President Barack Obama's recent address to a joint session of Congress. Fullilove argues that President Obama's speech showed passion, clarity and strength, and that it will give lawmakers a necessary push towards a positive middle ground as the final bill takes shape.
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Thu, 10 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT
As President Obama ascended the podium to deliver his pivotal health care speech, he faced a number of key challenges: to regain control of a debate, to reunify a divided Democratic party, and to allay widespread public fears that have weakened support for reform in recent months. Early polls suggest that the speech was well received and had moved a substantial portion of the public in the president’s direction. On the other hand, it seems likely that three major areas of public doubt remain; Medicare, the budget deficit, and employer-provided insurance coverage, writes William Galston.
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Thu, 10 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT
After a difficult August congressional recess in which plans to reform the nation’s health care system seemed to be in jeopardy, President Barack Obama gave a speech to a congressional joint session, making it clear that he would use every resource available to him to assure that his health care reform plan succeeds. Henry Aaron analyzes President Obama's speech.
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Thu, 10 Sep 2009 18:08:23 GMT
After the President addressed a Joint Session of Congress, Senior Fellow Henry Aaron offers his view on where health care reform efforts move from here. Aaron says that the president delivered a strong and persuasive speech that spells out his vision for health care reform, and that Congress and Republicans stand to gain much by helping to deliver important reform.
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Fri, 04 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT
Although President Obama’s approval ratings are declining, there is nothing inexorable about this drop or the larger swing against him among Independents, writes Thomas Mann. However, if the economic downturn persists a year from now and President Obama’s approval ratings have sunk well below 50 percent, Mann predicts, Democrats are likely to lose 20 or more seats in the House and a few in the Senate.
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Sat, 29 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT
With the debate over end-of-life counseling clouding the health care reform discussion, some in Congress have abandoned support for the service. Strobe Talbott and his son Devin describe their family's experience this year, providing a vivid perspective on the value of both counseling and hospice care.
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Fri, 28 Aug 2009 11:28:15 GMT
Senator Edward Kennedy served in the U.S. Senate for nearly 50 years and left behind a legacy of service and commitment. Senior Fellow Emeritus Stephen Hess observes that Kennedy was one of the most noted figures in the U.S. Senate and will likely be the last member of his family to leave such an indelible mark on politics.
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Wed, 19 Aug 2009 12:30:00 GMT
Event Information:
- August 19, 2009, 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM
With Congress out on recess, climate change and health care reform efforts are stalled. Thomas Mann and Politico's Fred Barbash took questions in a live web chat on whether partisan gridlock and hefty price tags could prevent these bills’ passage.
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Fri, 14 Aug 2009 16:21:19 GMT
The debate over health care reform has moved from Capitol Hill into the heartland where Members of Congress are hosting dozens of packed town hall meetings on the issue. William Frenzel, a Brookings expert and former U.S. representative from Minnesota, and the a co-chair of The Committee For a Responsible Federal Budget—which holds community meetings to gauge how the public feels about government spending—says town hall meetings should be used judiciously.
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Fri, 07 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT
Many conservative commentators including, Michael Gerson, disdain President Obama’s stimulus bill and have trumpeted its alleged shortcomings. However, the accuracy of these criticisms is far from self-evident; it will be assessed by analysts in the months and years ahead as the bill’s funds are expended and evidence becomes available on their impact on the micro and macro-economy, writes Thomas Mann.
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Fri, 07 Aug 2009 09:40:09 GMT
Back in their states and districts for the summer recess, Members of Congress are hearing from their constituents on health care reform legislation. Sarah Binder says trying to pass a health care reform bill is a gamble for legislators, who fear they could lose votes in the 2010 election if the bill is perceived as too costly.
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Fri, 07 Aug 2009 14:45:59 GMT
Sonia Sotomayor took the judicial oath of office on August 8, becoming the first Hspanic and third woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. Visiting Fellow Russell Wheeler examines how the Obama administration will impact the judicial system and what we can expect from Justice Sotomayor.
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Tue, 04 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT
With his approval ratings declining and increasing congressional infighting about health care overhaul, President Obama's reform efforts are starting to resemble President Clinton's failed attempt in 1994. However, Darrell West argues President Obama has already demonstrated much greater political effectiveness than President Clinton, and on this issue ultimately, Democrats will succeed in passing health care reform because the risks of failure are too high.
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Mon, 03 Aug 2009 11:52:06 GMT
With the Congressional district work period about to start, lawmakers were unable to meet President Obama’s deadline to pass health care reform legislation, but talks will continue in the fall. Henry Aaron says differing opinions on everything from framing the issue to paying for reform make finding common ground difficult.
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Fri, 24 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT
As the Senate moves to consider the House approved cap-and-trade legislation, hurdles still remain. Brookings experts Adele Morris, Peter Wilcoxen and Warwick McKibbin argue that sponsors of the Senate cap-and-trade bill could strengthen its prospects by establishing a price collar as a way to make it more politically and economically attractive.
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Tue, 21 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT
With the new political landscape, the importance of immigration for the American economy and new policy ideas that address concerns regarding low-skill workers and border security, the ingredients are in place for comprehensive immigration reform. What are required are bold leadership, a new narrative and a commitment to overcome old stereotypes. History does not have to repeat itself on immigration policy, writes Darrell West.
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Sat, 18 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT
New federal policies on immigration will require a new narrative, bold and innovative ideas and a determination to overcome major obstacles to action. Darrell West and Thomas Mann offer a forecast for immigration reform in the new political climate as the nation’s growing Latino factor and some recent shifts in immigration positions suggest that forging a new policy is possible. However, the topic still evokes economic, social, political and cultural obstacles that must be overcome if congressional reform is going to effective.
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Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT
A new report by the AEI-Brookings Continuity of Government Commission examines vulnerabilities in the U.S. presidential succession. It has long been assumed that prospects for a smooth transfer of presidential power in the event of a terrorist attack are assured, as there is already a clear line of succession to the nation's highest office. However, as the report's authors point out, the existing presidential succession could be rendered useless by a catastrophic attack because everyone in line to succeed the president lives and works in Washington, D.C.
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Mon, 29 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT
President Obama seems poised to adopt the Bush administration's unilateral approach to detention. This approach has failed President Bush and it will not serve President Obama any better, write Benjamin Wittes and Jack Goldsmith. The president can still get what he needs on detention, they say, if he works from Congress's bipartisan center, releases more substantial information about the detainees he thinks cannot be set free, and speaks often about the need for stable rules to govern non-criminal detentions.
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Fri, 19 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT
Federal gas taxes are drying up and the nation’s highway bill is set to expire this fall. In that context, Robert Puentes analyzes the House proposal to revamp U.S. transportation policy and the administration’s call for an 18 month delay to ensure “better investment decisions."
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Mon, 11 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT
American domestic law has long accepted the use of targeted killings as self-defense toward ends of vital national security that do not necessarily fall within the strict terms of armed conflict. However, the legal space for it and the legal rationales on which it has been traditionally justified are in danger of shrinking, writes Kenneth Anderson.
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Sun, 10 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT
Benjamin Wittes and Stuart Taylor examine how to amend American interrogation laws to balance the need to avoid the past administration's excesses against the need to get intelligence from captured terrorists. They review the post-September 11 evolution of Bush administration policies on interrogation, the experiences of the CIA and the military and the lessons to be learned from those experiences.
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Fri, 08 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT
More than seven years after 9/11, the government’s legal, practical and moral authority to detain suspected terrorists without trial remains a subject of fierce debate. Robert Litt and Wells Bennett say Congress could significantly ameliorate the problem by authorizing the creation of a National Security Bar, a permanent corps of security-cleared lawyers who could represent defendants in terrorism-related cases.
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Wed, 29 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT
As our nation confronts an economic crisis of a severity unlike any since the Great Depression, much attention has been placed on President Obama’s first 100 days and the administration’s progress in combating these unprecedented challenges. Expert Darrell West tracks public opinion on Obama’s handling of the recovery effort for a new index, GovWatch.
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Tue, 21 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT
Since taking the oath of office, President Barack Obama has faced a daunting set of immediate policy challenges and has had high expectations for significant changes in politics and policymaking. Nearing President Obama's first hundred days in office, Thomas Mann assesses his achievements and setbacks in a lecture given to the University of Melbourne Law School.
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Mon, 20 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT
President Obama and most Democrats in Congress hope to include health and education reform in reconciliation instructions as part of the budget process. Republicans are outraged by what they argue is an egregious partisan power grab, one that tramples on Senate rules permitting extended debate and amendment. Thomas Mann, Norman Ornstein and Molly Reynolds examine the use of reconciliation bills in Congress and say that it is perfectly reasonable for Democrats to use the process.
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Tue, 14 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT
Of all the major items on President Obama's agenda, health reform has the best chance of passage during the current Congress, writes William Galston. Yet, the strategic question before Congress is whether health reform will proceed on a bipartisan or Democrats-only basis.
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Wed, 08 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT
The year 2009 was supposed to mark the dawn of a post-partisan era. However, America’s partisan politics have remained as stubbornly intense and polarized as ever. Yet, as Pietro Nivola writes, increased partisanship has an upside: party unity, accountability, civic engagement and voter turnout have all increased with partisan politics.
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Thu, 26 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT
The Congressional Budget Office’s analysis of President Obama’s budget proposal projects a deficit of $9.3 trillion over the next decade, thereby forcing congressional leaders to look for changes to reduce it. Although the Senate Budget Committee has not yet finished marking up its version of the fiscal year 2010 budget resolution, Democrats are likely to diverge from the president’s desires. While Congress supports most of the president’s priorities, they are poised to sideline many of the programs President Obama proposed to implement, writes William Galston.
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Mon, 23 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT
Many argue that President Obama is biting off way more than he can chew, "overloading" the system and dealing with all sorts of "side issues," when he should be focusing solely on the broken economy. E.J. Dionne writes that Obama's biggest task will be restoring faith that what he had in mind is still possible.
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Sun, 22 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT
The Obama administration is considering seeking passage of its health reform and climate change initiatives with a legislative strategy that would require only 51 senators to vote yes, rather than the usual 60 of 100. Sarah Binder joined a featured discussion in the Washington Post to discuss her views on amending the majority rule in the Senate.
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Mon, 16 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT
President Barack Obama promised to change how Washington works but the omnibus spending bill he just signed contained more than eight thousand earmarks. Thomas Mann joined Norman Ornstein and Melanie Sloan on the Diane Rehm Show to look at how members of congress set aside money for projects in their districts and how the new administration hopes to reform the process.
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Fri, 06 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT
The $410 billion omnibus spending bill has about 9,000 earmarks, constituting less than one percent of the federal budget. Thomas Mann argues that abolishing earmarks would have a trivial effect on the level of spending and budget deficits. Instead, he says attention needs to be placed on the critical decisions that we face in the months and years ahead, including making sure new funds are expended in the most responsible way possible.
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Wed, 25 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT
With an unflinching speech, President Obama went before Congress Tuesday night with ambitious plans to rebuild the weakening economy and achieve goals ranging from energy diversification and emission reductions to health care and education reform. William Galston writes that public reaction is likely to be favorable in the short term. But his bolds words may end up producing more doubt than hope if the president’s reach exceeds his grasp.
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Wed, 25 Feb 2009 09:30:00 GMT
Event Information:
- February 25, 2009, 9:30 AM to 11:00 AM
In his first address to a joint session of Congress, President Obama discussed the financial crisis, his plans to help homeowners and stem job loss. Jeanne Cummings of Politico moderated a discussion with Brookings experts of the president’s speech, the public reaction and the odds of success as he continues his efforts to woo Members of Congress.
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Wed, 25 Feb 2009 12:30:00 GMT
Event Information:
- February 25, 2009, 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM
The stakes are high as President Obama makes his first address to a joint session of Congress, with the nation looking for leadership at a time of tremendous economic uncertainty. Brookings expert Bill Galston and Politico Senior Editor Fred Barbash conducted a live web chat to assess the impact of the speech.
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Thu, 12 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT
The Obama administration won a hard-fought and much needed victory this week as U.S. lawmakers prepare to pass a $789 billion stimulus package to revive the struggling economy. But as Bill Galston cautions, the compromise reached by congressional negotiators—which cut items dear to liberals and the business community, and included less for states than the House and administration wanted—is hardly sufficient to inspire public confidence in government and fix the economy.
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Mon, 09 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT
For years there has been a debate about whether to create a national security court to supervise the non-criminal military detention of dangerous terrorists. However, the hard question about a national security court is not whether it should exist but rather what its rules should be and, just as important, who should make these rules. As Jack Goldsmith writes, Congress and the President, rather than the courts, must play the predominant role in crafting these rules in order to have a well-designed national security court.
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Tue, 03 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT
The final version of the fiscal stimulus plan weakened the "Buy American" provision requiring the use of only U.S. iron and steel in construction work funded by the bill. Nevertheless, business groups continue to criticize the provision. In a new Q&A, Eswar Prasad discusses global concerns.
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Tue, 03 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT
President Obama recently announced his administration would consider California’s request for higher fuel efficiency standards as part of new efforts on climate change. Yet would improved standards really make a difference in the climate change challenge? Adele Morris examines the issues in-depth, and considers how increased regulatory standards would stack up against the other proposals being considered by the new administration and Congress.
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Thu, 29 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT
The Obama administration seeks to promote three goals through the stimulus package: jump-start an immediate surge in consumer demand and job creation; make a down-payment on longer-term campaign promises; and initiate a new era of bipartisanship. However, writes William Galston, due to the bill's divided focus, its stimulative effects may prove too weak to halt or reverse more than a fraction of the job losses predicted for the next two years.
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Tue, 27 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT
As the economic crisis deepens, pressures grow on President Obama to defer campaign pledges like addressing energy security and climate change. Yet, according to William Antholis and Nigel Purvis, postponing major action would be a major mistake. They say Obama should move forward now by working with Congress to create a new Climate Protection Authority.
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Thu, 08 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT
President-elect Barack Obama's economic recovery plan may face significant resistance in Congress. Thomas Mann and Norman Ornstein joined Margaret Warner on the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer to discuss the hurdles the Obama proposal will likely encounter as he pushes his agenda on Capitol Hill.
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Thu, 08 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT
Sarah Binder, Thomas Mann, Norman Ornstein and Molly Reynolds look ahead to the 111th Congress and what it will take to overcome the shortcomings of the 110th. Although the previous Congress was able to achieve some policy successes, increase oversight of the executive and strengthen ethics standards and procedures, it was limited in its ability to overcome fully the realities of divided government, the ideological polarization of the parties and the institutional dynamics that have shaped Congress in recent years.
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Thu, 08 Jan 2009 10:00:00 GMT
Event Information:
- January 08, 2009, 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM
When the 111th Congress convenes it will turn first to internal issues—including a disputed Illinois Senate seat and proposed rule changes in the House of Representatives. On January 8, Sarah Binder and Thomas Mann, with AEI’s Norman Ornstein, offered recommendations on how the new Congress may strengthen what they have called "the broken branch." They also critiqued whether the Democratic-majority 110th Congress achieved their objectives in mending the institution.
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Tue, 30 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT
In this Issues in Governance Studies, Bruce Buchanan examines how Congress and the American people evaluate presidential wars of choice. When it comes to whether or not to use American military power, presidential discretion is virtually unchecked. Using the Korean War, Vietnam War and the current Iraqi operation as case models, Buchanan explores the presidential accountability for wars of choice and recommends the use of policy trials.
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Wed, 24 Dec 2008 12:12:14 GMT
Brookings Guest Scholar Bill Frenzel, a former Member of Congress, says federal legislators should tread carefully when considering bailing out failing businesses.
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Fri, 19 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT
Michael Fullilove analyzes the age dilemma in Washington and notes the average age of a U.S. senator is 62—a full quarter of a century older than the average age of a U.S. citizen. However, there are growing signs—like the younger appointments to the Obama administration—that the American gerontocracy is crumbling at the edges.
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Tue, 09 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT
Sarah Binder and Mark Spindel suggest that Congress should amend the $700 billion Troubled Assets Relief Program in several ways, including a rewrite of the conditions put on institutions that take TARP dollars. It is not too late to fix the mistakes made in the rush to enactment, they write.
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Mon, 08 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT
The U.S. Congress has voted overwhelmingly to block the $80 million President Obama requested to close the Guantanamo Bay prison. On May 21, the president gave a national security address to discuss in greater detail his plan for closing Guantanamo. Brookings expert Ben Wittes offers a checklist of important decisions the president must make before he can shutter the detention camp.
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Wed, 05 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT
Television viewers knew early that Barack Obama would be the 44th president and Democrats would hold greater margins in Congress. But in the reality of the day, writes William Galston, the president-elect and congressional leaders have only a short time to make key decisions and must coalesce around a set of promises that can be met before voters rethink in 2010. While Republicans regroup, Democrats have a chance to make their case.
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Wed, 05 Nov 2008 13:11:12 GMT
Darrell West and Thomas Mann offer insights on the just-elected executive and legislative branches of government. Their goal in January, says West, is to bring change to American politics. But things will not go smoothly, warns Mann; “Conflict is natural, especially when you’re doing important things.”
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Thu, 09 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT
Trading of emissions under a cap-and-trade regime has received prominent attention as a possible approach to reducing the carbon dioxide emissions that contribute to climate change. On September 25, one regional cap-and-trade program, involving ten Northeastern states, has already begun operation through an initial auctioning of carbon allowances. This poses many important issues of federalism, writes Barry Rabe, as the federal government begins to play catchup with states and will have to give thought to sorting out federal and state responsibilities.
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Wed, 08 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT
When the House temporarily turned back the Bush Administration’s colossal financial rescue plan, many proclaimed the country’s political system gridlocked and dysfunctional. Cut them some slack, writes Brookings expert Pietro Nivola, who debunks the unwarranted ridicule that has deepened an already alarming degree of distrust of our venerable political institutions and public servants.
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Mon, 06 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT
The financial rescue package has been signed into law, but what happens now? Sarah Binder has been watching this story develop, and discusses her thoughts on The Federal Drive with Tom Temin and Jane Norris.
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Thu, 02 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT
Despite the urging of President George W. Bush and congressional leaders, the all-out push for a $700 billion bailout for the nation’s beleaguered banks ended in failure on September 29. Even though party leaders called on their members to cast votes for the nation’s financial welfare, legislators responded by casting votes for their own electoral safety, writes Sarah Binder and Mark Spindel in an opinion that examines why the bill failed.
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Wed, 01 Oct 2008 10:00:00 GMT
Event Information:
- October 01, 2008, 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Days of uncertainty on Capitol Hill finished with an economic rescue package, quickly signed by the president. Brookings economic, budget and congressional experts gathered mid-week to discuss the $700 billion question. Alice Rivlin said the bailout package will be successful if it gets credit flowing again. Others expressed concerns about whether the oversight in the legislation would be effective.
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Tue, 30 Sep 2008 09:52:17 GMT
As lawmakers scramble to figure out next moves on the financial crisis after the House voted down the rescue package, Martin Baily urges Congress to takes steps to avert a “nasty recession.” Although the actions in Washington are to shore up financial markets in New York, Americans everywhere have a lot at stake.
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Fri, 26 Sep 2008 14:43:48 GMT
Policy-makers spent a long weekend hashing out details on legislation that would provide up to $700 billion to purchase Wall Street assets, new oversight authority and more foreclosure prevention. Former Federal Reserve Vice Chair Alice Rivlin explains how mortgage securities unraveled, how the deal makers prevailed and what this will mean for the next administration.
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Wed, 24 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT
Bryan Mignone discusses the pros and cons of lifting offshore drilling bans in exchange for increases in financial incentives for renewable energy. He believes that while additional drilling is not the ultimate answer, it can have some near-term benefits while the gradual displacement of oil use for transportation occurs.
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Tue, 23 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT
Given the slew of questions that have been raised about the $700 billion bailout of Wall Street firms, Congress is right to reject open-ended grants of power at untold cost, writes Sarah Binder. But, if Congress fails to grant new powers to the Treasury, it risks deepening—and being blamed for—the greatest financial crisis since the Depression. Binder offers basic ground rules on how Congress should proceed.
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Wed, 10 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT
As Senators McCain and Obama gather in New York at the ServiceNation Summit in New York on September 11, David Caprara and Steven Rosenthal examine the nature of volunteerism and service and how international volunteering enhances America’s public diplomacy efforts.
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Thu, 04 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT
Julia Isaacs and Emily Roessel assess the effects of five early childhood education programs—State Pre-K, Head Start, Early Head Start, Model Early Childhood Programs and Nurse Home Visiting—that have had positive impacts on children’s cognitive skills and/or school outcomes.
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Thu, 17 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT
The interrogation programs of both the military and the intelligence community have been criticized at great length for being inconsistent with American values. In testimony before the House Committee on the Judiciary, Benjamin Wittes examined America's interrogation policy in the war against terrorism and offered steps towards a healthier statutory environment.
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Fri, 13 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT
A divided Supreme Court ruled that Guantanamo Bay detainees have a right to seek release. Benjamin Wittes writes that many fundamental questions remain unanswered and urges Congress to enact a comprehensive legislative solution to the problem of detentions in the war against terrorism.
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Thu, 24 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT
Americans are gloomy about the economy these days. Despite widespread economic malaise, writes Elisabeth Jacobs, little has been done to strengthen the safety net for American families in financial duress. And though some presidential candidates have begun to call for action, evidence suggests that the American people need action now.
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Wed, 16 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT
The fascinating 2008 presidential election has produced recent campaign finance developments, writes Thomas Mann, suffiently dramatic as to raise questions about the viability of the entire regime of campaign finance law.
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Wed, 16 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT
Thomas Mann and Lawrence Lessig of Stanford Law School appeared on Bloggingheads.tv to discuss ways to restore public trust in Congress, and its failure to engage in responsible and deliberative lawmaking, to police the ethical behavior of its members, and to check and balance the executive.
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Sat, 05 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT
The Justice Department recently released John Yoo's 2003 "torture" memo to Congress. Questions remain on what to do with the people the military and the CIA interrogated brutally in 2002 and 2003, writes Ben Wittes, and how the CIA should handle such people in the future.
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Tue, 22 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT
Thomas Mann and Sarah Binder conclude that in the 110th Congress, members are working harder, ethics regulations are tougher and a modest legislative harvest is being reaped. But, they warn, the venomous partisan atmosphere remains.
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Tue, 22 Jan 2008 14:00:00 GMT
Event Information:
- January 22, 2008, 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM
As Congress reconvenes, lawmakers face a final year of compromise or conflict with President George W. Bush. At this event, Brookings Senior Fellows Thomas Mann and Sarah Binder examined the congressional record and its agenda. They were joined by AEI resident scholar Norman Ornstein.
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Sat, 19 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT
Amid the clamor of the presidential campaign, it’s easy to forget that all 435 House seats and 35 of the Senate’s seats are up for election this year, too. So how should Congress under its new Democratic leadership be judged? In this New York Times opinion, Brookings Thomas Mann states that 110th Congress deserve some praise.
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Mon, 17 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT
Lael Brainard, Vice President and Director of Brookings Global Economy and Development Program, tracks trade votes in the U.S. Congress to understand and show how the politics of trade has changed over time.
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Tue, 11 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT
Efforts to pass a massive compromise federal spending bill collapsed Monday. Brookings senior fellow Thomas E. Mann appeared on The Diane Rehm show with Brian Riedl of the Heritage Foundation and Philip Joyce of George Washington University to discuss federal budget battles.
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Thu, 06 Dec 2007 12:00:00 GMT
Event Information:
- December 06, 2007, 12:00 PM to 12:00
Brookings recently hosted leading economists for a discussion on the breadth and depth of sovereign wealth funds and potential regulation.
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Wed, 05 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT
Stating that Democrats should continue their pressure for positive results in Iraq, Michael O’Hanlon notes that the call by some for the immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops is not the best policy approach. O'Hanlon argues that a slow and steady troop withdrawal is the most certain means of achieving “a realistic chance, not of victory, but of….sustainable stability."
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Fri, 30 Nov 2007 10:00:00 GMT
Event Information:
- November 30, 2007, 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM
On November 30, the Brookings Institution hosted a discussion on partisan polarization in the United States and its effect on foreign policy, a topic addressed by Peter Beinart of the Council on Foreign Relations in the forthcoming Brookings book Red and Blue Nation: Volume II.
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Wed, 21 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT
In lieu of a two-week Thanksgiving recess, the Senate is holding four sessions but conducting no business. Sarah Binder explains the impasse that led to the Democrats' unorthodox strategy. The immediate clash is over contentious presidential appointees; the larger conflict reflects the deep disputes over policy and process between a Democratic Congress and a Republican White House.
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Tue, 20 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT
Infected by polarization, confirmation rates for federal judges have plummeted and long delays are commonplace. Brookings’s Russell Wheeler recommends that the next president should create a bipartisan commission and set a timetable to prevent the lengthy nomination battles.
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Thu, 15 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT
A core challenge facing the next president in the war on terror is developing a legal framework for detaining terrorists. Brookings’s experts Benjamin Wittes and Mark Gitenstein offer recommendations that balance basic protections for detainees with regularized judicial review.
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Thu, 15 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT
In December 2005, the New York Times reported, and President Bush confirmed, that the National Security Agency had been conducting electronic surveillance of international communications, to or from the U.S., without obeying the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. The disclosure ignited a wildfire of political and legal controversy, which continues to generate heat today.