Gabriela Schneider

Departure Dialogues Project — POPVOX Foundation Departure Dialogues captures insights from former federal employees to help Congress strengthen agency performance and close gaps between policy and practice.

Learn how you can join: popvox.org/departure

To civil servants transitioning out of government: Your institutional knowledge does not have to leave with you.

Share your expertise through @popvoxfdn.bsky.social's Departure Dialogues. Your insights could help Congress build more effective government services. Learn more: popvox.org/departure

“Things that look obvious in the Executive branch...are absolutely mind-blowing over on the Legislative branch” @popvoxfdn.bsky.social Foundation's Anne Meeker on why departing federal employees hold the key to better governance & how Departure Dialogues bridges this divide. Learn how you can join!

Next time!

Did you get to try rollinia or mangosteen?

Hi, y’all,

“When politics starts shaping how data is collected or shared, the damage doesn’t end with one administration — it lingers.” @votebeat.org

newsletters.votebeat.org/newsletter/t...

and then one day, hooray!! thx for sharing a fun tale of syd and singing about gnomes together! 😆

Friends in the #tsunamiwarning zone, check here to see if you are in an evacuation zone dod.hawaii.gov/hiema/public...

The Enshittification of American Power First Google and Facebook, then the world. Under Trump 2.0, US statecraft is starting to mimic the worst tendencies of Big Tech.

😢 “In time, US citizens may find themselves trapped in a diminished, nightmare America—like a post-Musk Twitter at scale—where everything works badly, everything can be turned against you, and everyone else has fled.” www.wired.com/story/enshit...

Appropriators advance Legislative Branch bill without GAO cuts - Roll Call Senate appropriators approved a fiscal 2026 Legislative Branch bill that would boost spending for Congress while avoiding cuts to the GAO.

Actual good news out of Congress. Senate Leg branch appropriations won’t slash GAO & Library of Congress funding rollcall.com/2025/07/10/a...

On the 1-yr anniversary of SCOTUS overturning the Chevron doctrine, Congress has not only failed to step up, but is now slashing sources of nonpartisan expertise. The First Branch is sadly validating critics & failing the Loper Bright test.

t.co/Es622hMHPP

Wow, there were 26,000 people asking Senator @schatz.bsky.social questions on his tele-town hall today. He said that's unprecedented.

Keep speaking up, folks! And mahalo nui loa to his staff for their tireless work to answer all. the. questions!

DOGE is building a ‘master database’ of sensitive information, top Oversight Democrat says Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., is calling on the Social Security Administration’s watchdog to investigate whistleblower claims that the efficiency team is compiling potentially sensitive data across seve...

Hey First Branch, do your oversight job! They’re creating a master database about us using government data www.nextgov.com/digital-gove...

Notable #LoperBright citation in Abrego Garcia decision by Judge Wilkinson of the 4th Circuit re: definition of "facilitate"
👇

"We are not bound in this context by a definition crafted by an administrative agency and contained in a mere policy directive."

storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

In her testimony, Danielle will highlight our support for:
- a feasibility study for establishing a House Casework Support Office
- further exploration and investment in remote voting technology
- in-house development of AI training and resources for Members and staff

Legislative Branch - Public Witness Day

Tomorrow, Danielle Stewart, POPVOX Foundation's Advisor for Congressional Initiatives, will testify before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch.

Tune in at 11 AM ET:
appropriations.house.gov/schedule/hea...

This baby has participated in more notices of intent to offer a motion to discharge than like 99% of the House of Representatives.

Electoral reformers: Want to make a persuasive case for multi-member districts? Consider how it affects constituents’ access to Congressional services — this report shows how.

Read the report: protectdemocracy.org/work/how-wou...

With 83% of Americans saying elected officials "don’t care about what people like me think," constituent casework shows Congress’ direct impact on people's lives — key for rebuilding public trust.

How would constituent services in American multi-member districts work? Under proportional representation, minority-preferred candidates tend to win even more seats than under single-member districts.

NEW REPORT: “Constituent Services in Multi-Member Districts: How Would It Work?” @popvoxfdn.bsky.social @newamerica.org & @protectdemocracy.org research by Anne Meeker & @leedrutman.bsky.social explores Congressional casework under proportional representation:
protectdemocracy.org/work/how-wou...

How would constituent services in American multi-member districts work? Under proportional representation, minority-preferred candidates tend to win even more seats than under single-member districts.

Proportional electoral reforms are getting more attention as a way to improve democracy. Anne Meeker & @leedrutman.bsky.social explore how constituent services could work under the new system in a paper from @popvoxfdn.bsky.social, @newamerica.org, and us.

Is 10 AM confirmed? It says 3 PM on the calendar event. Mahalo!

Learn all about proxy voting and why it’s important now from a former GOP Chief of Staff and new mom from @popvoxfdn.bsky.social www.popvox.org/blog/congres...

‘They Want to Play Hardball’: Freedom Caucus Tries to Kill Discharge Petition From One of Its Own Speaker Mike Johnson and the Freedom Caucus are trying to kill a discharge petition that would allow new parents to proxy vote for 12 weeks. The members pushing for the proposal aren’t having it.

Speaker Mike Johnson and the Freedom Caucus are trying to kill a discharge petition that would allow new parents to proxy vote for 12 weeks.
www.notus.org/congress/har...

‘They Want to Play Hardball’: Freedom Caucus Tries to Kill Discharge Petition From One of Its Own Speaker Mike Johnson and the Freedom Caucus are trying to kill a discharge petition that would allow new parents to proxy vote for 12 weeks. The members pushing for the proposal aren’t having it.

Majority leadership hating the discharge petition is a tale as old as time in the House. But making it way harder to use because of something led largely by a member of your own party as opposed to because the minority is trying to circumvent you is...unexpected.

www.notus.org/congress/har...

Still time to RSVP for Monday's in-person and virtual event!

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory Evicted Amid Federal Cuts Observatory leaders have assured local emergency officials their public service will continue, but questions linger about how and where that work will happen.

I dunno, Elon, I wouldn’t mess with Goddess Pele if I were you www.civilbeat.org?p=1701975&ut...

If you know any Congressional staff or interns, please share this invitation. Thanks! 🙏

The Implementation Gap: Turning Legislative Intent into Executive-Led Outcomes — POPVOX Foundation A discussion focused on going beyond traditional legislative training to address the critical but often overlooked issues with implementation across the Executive branch.

On 3/24, join us & @niskanencenter.bsky.social for a discussion on how to address the critical but often overlooked issues with implementation across the Executive branch.

Feat: @marcidale.bsky.social @pahlkadot.bsky.social & @andrewgreenway.bsky.social
www.popvox.org/events/imple...

Love this and know it’s a natural progression. Following tech blogs before they were blogs got me into tech policy in the late 90s.

Also dig the scenius of Silicon Valley that he describes vs “the dangerous delusion of the ‘great man’ theory of innovation”