SIOP Meets with House Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress

This month, SIOP Diversity and Inclusion Officer Dr. Derek Avery met with Democratic and Republican staff on the House Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress to introduce SIOP and learn about the priorities of the select committee, which was created to make Congress work more effectively for the American people.  The select committee publishes recommendations to the House throughout the year, with previous recommendations including suggestions on how to recruit and retain a more diverse staff, professionalize internships, overhaul the on-boarding process for new Members and staff, and encourage civility and collaboration.  Full details and specific recommendations made during the 116th and 117th Congresses can be found linked above.  During the meetings, Dr. Avery and the congressional staff discussed a wide range of I-O topics related to the select committee’s previous and upcoming recommendations, such as ways to increase diversity of congressional staff, incentivize collaboration over polarization, and how to provide on-going professional development for Members of Congress and their staff.  SIOP hopes to continue to engage with the select committee as they work to make Congress more effective and will provide updates as we do.

A View from Washington: Congress Continues Work on Major Legislation

While Congress normally heads home for the month of August, the Senate remained in town for most of the month to work on several pieces of major legislation.  The chamber passed both a $550 billion bipartisan infrastructure bill, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, as well as approved a $3.5 trillion budget resolution along party lines, kicking off the budget reconciliation process and allowing Democrats a pathway to pass some of their more ambitious human infrastructure and social services priorities that were not included in the bipartisan bill due to cost or political disagreements.  Included within the reconciliation package is $45 billion to be split among various science agencies on research and development, with the largest share expected to go to the National Science Foundation (NSF).  While the congressional committees still need to decide how to allocate those funds to NSF, some could be used to bolster social, behavioral, and economic sciences.  After tough negotiations between Democratic moderates and Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) over the timeline for House consideration of the budget resolution and the bipartisan infrastructure bill, an agreement was made that allowed for a vote on the budget resolution this week and promised a vote on the bipartisan infrastructure bill by September 27.  The passage of budget resolution this week means that the human infrastructure bill will likely not be voted on until late September or early October, as the budget resolution only allocated spending levels and the legislation still needs to be written and negotiated with the Senate.

Beyond infrastructure and reconciliation, Congress will have its attention diverted by several other must-pass measures.  Annual funding for the federal government will expire on September 30 and Congress must approve new spending or extend current funding levels by that date to avoid a federal government shutdown.  With the Senate still early in the process of drafting and approving its spending bills, a continuing resolution (CR) will likely be needed to extend the current levels of federal funding for several months while they finalize fiscal year (FY) 2022 spending bills. Additionally, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has warned that the national debt ceiling must be raised by October 1.  Congressional Republicans have already signaled reluctance to raise the debt ceiling, which has typically been done in a bipartisan manner, over concerns regarding the high levels of spending.  Lewis-Burke will continue to monitor developments and provide updates.

 

Publication Type
Washington InfO

Topic
Government Relations