To the Congress of the United States:America is emerging from the worst recession in generations. In 2010, an economy that had beenshrinking began to grow again. After nearly 2 years of job losses, America’s businesses added morethan one million jobs. Our capital and credit markets are functioning and strong. Manufacturing ...

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }a:link { } Now we move from the large, tumultuous body of the House of Representatives to the smaller and more deliberative Senate. In the Constitutional compromise, the Senate is meant to prevent hasty action by the House, serve as a check on the ambition of ...

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }a:link { } [Editor's Note: As part of its version of a new Continuing Resolution to provide government funding for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2011, the House Republican leadership is considering some functional changes that might impact current House procedures. Look for an upcoming issue ...

As one third of the country prepares for winter weather this week, state and local governments are struggling to find a way to pay for the aftermath. Snow and ice removal is taking a toll on budgets across the country, and winter is not yet over. Today we'll take a ...

Tuesday night, the President delivered his annual State of the Union address before a joint session of Congress. Article II, Section 3 of the US Constitution requires the President to “from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration ...

The Politics of Health Care PolicyEven before the November 2, 2010 elections catapulted them back into power in the U.S. House of Representatives, members of the Republican leadership were already announcing their intention to repeal “Obamacare” – the health care reform legislation enacted by Congress only eight months earlier – ...

The United States has been borrowing its way out of mounting obligations and lowered revenues for some time. We rely on the federal government to provide a variety of services across the country, including healthcare for veterans, special education programs, and energy grants for those with lower incomes. When tax ...

The American Friends Service Committee and National Priorities Project are preparing to announce the six lucky winners of If I Had a Trillion Dollars (IHTD), a national video contest which asks young people to convey how they would spend the more than $1 trillion dollars spent on the U.S. wars ...

By Samantha DanaIn the Continuing Resolution passed by Congress on December 21, 2010 one line specifies that the maximum Pell Grant award amount shall not exceed $4,860. These grants, which do not have to be repaid, are an essential part of making college affordable. However, not many are aware of ...

After the November elections, members of Congress returned to Capitol Hill for their “lame duck” session with one huge piece of unfinished business – the Fiscal Year 2011 budget. And while they failed to complete work on the budget – the government is currently running on a “continuing resolution” that ...