JD Rackey

Listening Is Governing: Modernizing Congress’s Public Interface • Bipartisan Policy Center Congress receives a growing volume of constituent contacts each year, straining staff capacity and public trust. This piece explores the challenges of modern constituent engagement and bipartisan effo...

Congress is inundated by outreach from constituents and has been slow to modernize. But bit by bit it is working to improve how the institution interacts with and internalizes constituent demands. bipartisanpolicy.org/article/list...

Listening Is Governing: Modernizing Congress’s Public Interface • Bipartisan Policy Center Congress receives a growing volume of constituent contacts each year, straining staff capacity and public trust. This piece explores the challenges of modern constituent engagement and bipartisan effo...

Congress is inundated by outreach from constituents and has been slow to modernize. But bit by bit it is working to improve how the institution interacts with and internalizes constituent demands. bipartisanpolicy.org/article/list...

After Historic Shutdown, Continuity of Government and Member Security Need Attention • Bipartisan Policy Center Rising concerns over political violence and several years of increased threats against members of Congress and their staff have resurfaced questions around the precautions that should be in place to p...

With tonight's SOTU, it's worth remembering that continuity planning for the House of Reps is insufficient and full of questionable gaps! bipartisanpolicy.org/article/afte...

How a Congressional Office Actually Works “You need zen”

This conversation is fantastic! Lots of important insight into the day-to-day of congressional offices and speaks to the need for continued modernization and capacity building.

If you want to learn how the House floor works, the best thing to do is walk through the congressional record a few times. Here's part I of my guided tour:

Can this AI bot help House Republican priorities survive in the Senate? - The Boston Globe A new AI tool, called the Byrd Bot, is the latest example of AI being used in the corridors of power, and the first AI tool to be used in the legislative drafting process.

“It’s a good thing to see, and hopefully there are other areas of congressional operations that would benefit from this type of innovation,” Rackey said. www.bostonglobe.com/2026/02/16/n...

Can this AI bot help House Republican priorities survive in the Senate? - The Boston Globe A new AI tool, called the Byrd Bot, is the latest example of AI being used in the corridors of power, and the first AI tool to be used in the legislative drafting process.

“It’s a good thing to see, and hopefully there are other areas of congressional operations that would benefit from this type of innovation,” Rackey said. www.bostonglobe.com/2026/02/16/n...

Lauren's book: libraries.clemson.edu/press/books/...

Jefferson's Manual of Parliamentary Practice Proudly printed in America, this definitive 1812 edition of Thomas Jefferson's landmark work continues to inform the rules and procedures of the United States House and Senate today.As vice president ...

Brian's book: www.arcadiapublishing.com/products/jef...

The National Capital Area Political Science Association (NCAPSA) NCAPSA brings together DC-Area political scientists working in academic and applied settings.

For more information about the event and to register: ncapsa.org/events.html

Legislative procedure is one of the most important but least understood aspects of Congress. I'm excited to be hosting this NCAPSA roundtable on the origins and evolution of House procedure through the lens of Brian Alexander's and Lauren Bell's new books! Details 👇

Members of Congress with prior public service backgrounds tend to be more effective because they know the importance of building bipartisan relationships & right-sizing their issue portfolios! www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/house/3...

Senator Mitch McConnell Chair, Senate Rules Committee Senator Alex Padilla Ranking Member, Senate Rules Committee Dear Chair McConnell and Ranking Member Padilla: The standing of Congress with the American people was badly damaged by this fall’s prolonged government shutdown. S. Res. 526, proposed by Senator Kennedy to withhold senators’ pay during future shutdowns, is a ticking time bomb that would deepen that harm. The resolution threatens the Senate’s political independence, undermines its democratic character, and would inflict collateral damage. As you consider the measure at your December 11th markup, we urge you to not let it advance. During the most recent shutdown, the Senate had no negotiating partner: Speaker Mike Johnson dismissed the House for all 43 days of lapsed funding under his unilateral authority in House Rule 1, clause 13. Under similar conditions, senators seeking to resolve a shutdown could again find themselves with no practical way to reach agreement—yet with their pay effectively held hostage by actions of the House. A comparable dynamic could arise if both chambers reached agreement only to have the president veto the legislation. Senator Kennedy’s resolution is designed to pressure senators to change their policy positions until the House, the Senate, and the president align. Under his proposal, senators’ pay would be withheld so long as any part of the government remains unfunded. For many senators, the financial effect would be modest. But not all senators are wealthy—and Congress already faces a worsening representation gap that discourages qualified individuals of ordinary means from serving. Conditioning congressional pay on the strategic decisions of other actors would exacerbate the problem that only the wealthy can realistically afford to hold office. The Senate should not become an elected aristocracy. Shutdowns are disruptive and damaging, but the source of the problem lies elsewhere. Withholding compensation does nothing…

Today, the Senate Rules Committee will vote on freezing senatorial pay during a partial gov't shutdown. This bad faith resolution may stoke some populist support, but it's terrible policy.

It puts pressure on senators to change their votes even when the holdup is the House or the president.

It’s not just that the number of filed discharge petitions is up this year (though it is; see below).

What Are Congressional Support Agencies and What Do They Do? • Bipartisan Policy Center While many are aware that members of Congress and committees employ a variety of staff—including policy and communications professionals, constituent service caseworkers, and administrative specialist...

bipartisanpolicy.org/explainer/wh...

I often get asked questions about the role and function of Congress's numerous support agencies. So, here's my attempt at a concise explainer on *some* of these vital institutions that help Congress do its job. 🔗👇🏻

Updated over the weekend to include full 118th data and added the 119th. Reminder, this chart tracks introductions not votes/passage.

After Historic Shutdown, Continuity of Government and Member Security Need Attention • Bipartisan Policy Center Rising concerns over political violence and several years of increased threats against members of Congress and their staff have resurfaced questions around the precautions that should be in place to p...

Congress has been responding to increased threats of political violence by boosting member security in a variety of ways. While good, I argue there’s more they could be doing to preserve representation & institutional functioning during potential crises. bipartisanpolicy.org/article/afte...

Our Politics of Impeachment and Consequences for Democracy The House’s impeachment of Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas is the first time since 1876 that a cabinet secretary has been impeached and only the second time in history. But this is j...

Read more: bipartisanpolicy.org/article/our-...

Federalist 65 argued these measures should induce “a perpetual ostracism from the esteem and confidence, and honors and emoluments of his country.” The rise in their introduction has made them trivial and allows them to be dismissed as partisan witch hunts.

Censure resolutions are back in the limelight in the House. Last year I wrote about how the increased introduction of accountability tools has led to a decline in their meaning. A short 🧵

Senate and Trump on a collision course over the leadership of the GAO - UnderstandingCongress.org Gene L. Dodaro is not a household name. He is a mild-mannered man who is rarely seen without a necktie and dark suit, and who speaks in a flat, matter-of-fact tone. He has worked for the federal gover...

For more on the growing interbranch conflict, see this great piece from @kevinrkosar.bsky.social www.understandingcongress.org/2025/11/14/s...

What is the Role of the Comptroller General? • Bipartisan Policy Center The comptroller general leads the Government Accountability Office (GAO), a nonpartisan legislative branch agency that provides Congress and the heads of executive branch agencies with information and...

Read here: bipartisanpolicy.org/explainer/wh...

The interbranch conflict over spending--rescissions, impoundments, etc.--has thrust a less well-known figure into the spotlight: the Comptroller General of the United States.

My @bipartisanpolicy.org colleague @michaelthorning.bsky.social & I break down what the CG does & the appointment process.

After Historic Shutdown, Continuity of Government and Member Security Need Attention • Bipartisan Policy Center Rising concerns over political violence and several years of increased threats against members of Congress and their staff have resurfaced questions around the precautions that should be in place to p...

Congress has been responding to increased threats of political violence by boosting member security in a variety of ways. While good, I argue there’s more they could be doing to preserve representation & institutional functioning during potential crises. bipartisanpolicy.org/article/afte...

Optimizing the U.S. Congressional Calendar to Boost Legislative Productivity | Bipartisan Policy Center For decades, the standard rhythm for members of the House of Representatives has been to fly into Washington on Monday evening and depart on…

Instead, we should think about it in the context of the all too common calendar and scheduling issues that Congress faces. Cancelling session days makes an already difficult committee scheduling process that much more impossible. bipartisanpolicy.org/blog/optimiz...

The House was out in October. Does it matter? - Roll Call With legislation and hearings stalled, this was the month that wasn’t on the House side of the Capitol.

I don’t believe we should be reading too much into what missing this month of session will mean for the larger congressional agenda. As I told @justinjpapp.bsky.social, “Congress always finds a way to get itself out of the predicaments that it puts itself in.”

rollcall.com/2025/10/29/h...

An interesting discussion emerging on the implications of Loper Bright & Sen. Schmitt’s report at the Yale Journal on Regulation’s Notice & Comment blog. Today my @bipartisanpolicy.org colleagues and I added our thoughts on the implications for congressional capacity www.yalejreg.com/nc/congress-...

Government by Committee: (Re)centering Congressional Committees in the Policy Process | The Foundation for American Innovation The Foundation for American Innovation.

See also my and @lmcbell.bsky.social’s work on the needed revitalization of congressional committees in the post-Chevron era. www.thefai.org/posts/govern...

BPC's Working Group on Congress, Courts, and Administrative Law | Bipartisan Policy Center BPC’s Working Group on Congress, Courts, and Administrative Law will develop tools to help Congress respond both to legal need and political reality, and…

Our thoughts here draw heavily from @bipartisanpolicy.org’s Working Group on Congress, Courts, and Administrative Law which met last summer and developed an array of potential responses. bipartisanpolicy.org/congress-cou...