Sarah Binder
@sarahbinder.bsky.social
Political scientist by day (and night). GWU and Brookings. Co-editor, https://goodauthority.org/
sarahbinder.weebly.com
sarahbinder.weebly.com
Rare House discharge success today. Reminder that the rule was born of legislators' frustration with an overbearing and overreaching Speaker (Czar) Joe Cannon in 1910. Granted, Speakers Cannon & Johnson had different reasons to batten down the floor agenda. But overreach can sometimes prove costly!
November 18, 2025 at 11:41 PM
Rare House discharge success today. Reminder that the rule was born of legislators' frustration with an overbearing and overreaching Speaker (Czar) Joe Cannon in 1910. Granted, Speakers Cannon & Johnson had different reasons to batten down the floor agenda. But overreach can sometimes prove costly!
Now this is a great speech for a POTUS to deliver when he visits the Federal Reserve (in 1937). Watch FDR live! (starts at .22)
sarahbinder.weebly.com/uploads/3/1/...
Or read the whole speech here 🤓
www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/ad...
sarahbinder.weebly.com/uploads/3/1/...
Or read the whole speech here 🤓
www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/ad...
July 24, 2025 at 3:28 PM
Now this is a great speech for a POTUS to deliver when he visits the Federal Reserve (in 1937). Watch FDR live! (starts at .22)
sarahbinder.weebly.com/uploads/3/1/...
Or read the whole speech here 🤓
www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/ad...
sarahbinder.weebly.com/uploads/3/1/...
Or read the whole speech here 🤓
www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/ad...
What to expect while you're expecting (Massie's discharge petition ...)
Massie introduced rule on July15 to discharge unrelated bill. Rule has to be pending in Rules panel for 7 *legislative* days before he can file discharge petition. So it'll be Sept before he can file petition. At that point, any MC can sign it at Clerk's desk. www.congress.gov/bill/119th-c...
www.congress.gov
July 23, 2025 at 11:06 PM
What to expect while you're expecting (Massie's discharge petition ...)
Senate GOP tactics to make 2017 tax cuts "permanent" required nuclear move on Senate floor-- weakening authority of the parliamentarian, blowing hole in Byrd Rule, & possibly making future debt crisis more likely. New @goodauth.bsky.social post on fallout from OBBB
goodauthority.org/news/three-b...
goodauthority.org/news/three-b...
Three big takeaways from that “One Big Beautiful Bill.“
Republican tactics seem likely to weaken the Senate – and make fiscal crisis more likely.
goodauthority.org
July 8, 2025 at 2:28 PM
Senate GOP tactics to make 2017 tax cuts "permanent" required nuclear move on Senate floor-- weakening authority of the parliamentarian, blowing hole in Byrd Rule, & possibly making future debt crisis more likely. New @goodauth.bsky.social post on fallout from OBBB
goodauthority.org/news/three-b...
goodauthority.org/news/three-b...
Reminder on Byrd process:
Parliamentarian has identified OBBB text that violates Byrd rule. Her advice doesn’t block text. She’s saying: If GOP still keep Byrd-offending text in OBBB & send it to floor, a senator can cry fowl (😉). Supporters would then need 60 votes to keep each proposal in bill.
Parliamentarian has identified OBBB text that violates Byrd rule. Her advice doesn’t block text. She’s saying: If GOP still keep Byrd-offending text in OBBB & send it to floor, a senator can cry fowl (😉). Supporters would then need 60 votes to keep each proposal in bill.
Senate parliamentarian never sleeps! More Byrd droppings! These Ag panel droppings will get most 👀:
Mandating ⬆️ state $$ contributions to fund SNAP & banning undocumented from food benefits
These Byrd calls very slightly shift OBBB to center. Likely angers hawks, but might help Thune.
Full list ⬇️
Mandating ⬆️ state $$ contributions to fund SNAP & banning undocumented from food benefits
These Byrd calls very slightly shift OBBB to center. Likely angers hawks, but might help Thune.
Full list ⬇️
Several Additional Provisions in Republicans’ “One Big, Beautiful Bill” Are Subject to 60-Vote Threshold, According to Senate Parliamentarian | U.S. Senate Committee On The Budget
The Official U.S. Senate Committee On The Budget
www.budget.senate.gov
June 21, 2025 at 11:23 AM
Reminder on Byrd process:
Parliamentarian has identified OBBB text that violates Byrd rule. Her advice doesn’t block text. She’s saying: If GOP still keep Byrd-offending text in OBBB & send it to floor, a senator can cry fowl (😉). Supporters would then need 60 votes to keep each proposal in bill.
Parliamentarian has identified OBBB text that violates Byrd rule. Her advice doesn’t block text. She’s saying: If GOP still keep Byrd-offending text in OBBB & send it to floor, a senator can cry fowl (😉). Supporters would then need 60 votes to keep each proposal in bill.
Senate parliamentarian never sleeps! More Byrd droppings! These Ag panel droppings will get most 👀:
Mandating ⬆️ state $$ contributions to fund SNAP & banning undocumented from food benefits
These Byrd calls very slightly shift OBBB to center. Likely angers hawks, but might help Thune.
Full list ⬇️
Mandating ⬆️ state $$ contributions to fund SNAP & banning undocumented from food benefits
These Byrd calls very slightly shift OBBB to center. Likely angers hawks, but might help Thune.
Full list ⬇️
Several Additional Provisions in Republicans’ “One Big, Beautiful Bill” Are Subject to 60-Vote Threshold, According to Senate Parliamentarian | U.S. Senate Committee On The Budget
The Official U.S. Senate Committee On The Budget
www.budget.senate.gov
June 21, 2025 at 11:10 AM
Senate parliamentarian never sleeps! More Byrd droppings! These Ag panel droppings will get most 👀:
Mandating ⬆️ state $$ contributions to fund SNAP & banning undocumented from food benefits
These Byrd calls very slightly shift OBBB to center. Likely angers hawks, but might help Thune.
Full list ⬇️
Mandating ⬆️ state $$ contributions to fund SNAP & banning undocumented from food benefits
These Byrd calls very slightly shift OBBB to center. Likely angers hawks, but might help Thune.
Full list ⬇️
'Tis the (Byrd bath) season!
June 20, 2025 at 2:32 PM
'Tis the (Byrd bath) season!
Byrd droppings piling up from S Banking text. GOP-sought savings from Fed/CFPB are good reminder of Fed's *structural* independence. Guessing Byrd rule blocks zero'ing out of CFPB & Fed staff salary cuts, since Fed is self-funded & not reliant on Congress for appropriations.
June 20, 2025 at 2:31 PM
Byrd droppings piling up from S Banking text. GOP-sought savings from Fed/CFPB are good reminder of Fed's *structural* independence. Guessing Byrd rule blocks zero'ing out of CFPB & Fed staff salary cuts, since Fed is self-funded & not reliant on Congress for appropriations.
Why did Trump send such a narrow and small rescission request to Congress? New @Brookings.edu FixGov post on the politics and rules of rescinding appropriations spending under federal budget law— and what’s at stake.
www.brookings.edu/articles/tru...
www.brookings.edu/articles/tru...
Trump wants Congress to vote for his rescissions. Are Republicans willing to own the cuts?
President Trump has sent a “rescission” package to Capitol Hill, proposing $9.4 billion in cuts to international aid and public broadcasting.
www.brookings.edu
June 5, 2025 at 9:25 PM
Why did Trump send such a narrow and small rescission request to Congress? New @Brookings.edu FixGov post on the politics and rules of rescinding appropriations spending under federal budget law— and what’s at stake.
www.brookings.edu/articles/tru...
www.brookings.edu/articles/tru...
House GOP pay-fors more draconian for tax cuts this year compared to 2017 TCJA. Primary 2017 revenue raiser was🧂🧢 (after "border tax" killed). This time, slimmer GOP seeks more costly tax cuts & more politically salient revenue raisers (Medicaid/SNAP/ACA/Pell✂️). Pulls bill much farther to the right.
May 19, 2025 at 4:07 PM
House GOP pay-fors more draconian for tax cuts this year compared to 2017 TCJA. Primary 2017 revenue raiser was🧂🧢 (after "border tax" killed). This time, slimmer GOP seeks more costly tax cuts & more politically salient revenue raisers (Medicaid/SNAP/ACA/Pell✂️). Pulls bill much farther to the right.
Congress was hiding in plain sight 🤓. Join me & @johnsides.bsky.social for Episode 2 of @goodauth.bsky.social's Where's Congress? We consider the big (yes), beautiful (eye of beholder) bill House GOP are trying to pass thru House --Senate GOP views be damned (for now)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvfR...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvfR...
May 13, 2025 at 9:16 PM
Congress was hiding in plain sight 🤓. Join me & @johnsides.bsky.social for Episode 2 of @goodauth.bsky.social's Where's Congress? We consider the big (yes), beautiful (eye of beholder) bill House GOP are trying to pass thru House --Senate GOP views be damned (for now)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvfR...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvfR...
Would Democrats take advantage of GOP-proposed tax-free "MAGA savings accounts" for their kids? Would be a good test of "partisanship is a powerful drug." Pre-register your survey experiment(s) now 🤓
May 12, 2025 at 7:38 PM
Would Democrats take advantage of GOP-proposed tax-free "MAGA savings accounts" for their kids? Would be a good test of "partisanship is a powerful drug." Pre-register your survey experiment(s) now 🤓
Re-appointed [Faculty] Senate parliamentarian. Unanimous consent, no objections 🤣
🤞🏻🤞🏻I don’t get ignored or fired 😳
🤞🏻🤞🏻I don’t get ignored or fired 😳
May 9, 2025 at 6:51 PM
Re-appointed [Faculty] Senate parliamentarian. Unanimous consent, no objections 🤣
🤞🏻🤞🏻I don’t get ignored or fired 😳
🤞🏻🤞🏻I don’t get ignored or fired 😳
House GOP struggles to identify politically-palatable cuts to Medicaid shouldn't surprise (esp given slim majority). Figure shows % district enrolled in M'caid/CHIP vs Trump vote (2024). Significant cuts would hit across red states, esp in those that expanded M'caid (comprising 60% of House GOP).
May 9, 2025 at 1:50 PM
House GOP struggles to identify politically-palatable cuts to Medicaid shouldn't surprise (esp given slim majority). Figure shows % district enrolled in M'caid/CHIP vs Trump vote (2024). Significant cuts would hit across red states, esp in those that expanded M'caid (comprising 60% of House GOP).
House & Senate GOP likely view big cuts to Medicaid differently--especially S GOP from states that expanded Medicaid post ACA. Graph shows % of Medicaid recipients enrolled via expansion (Q3 2024 data). You can see impact on red states, especially (but not limited to) red states above trend line.
May 1, 2025 at 5:41 PM
House & Senate GOP likely view big cuts to Medicaid differently--especially S GOP from states that expanded Medicaid post ACA. Graph shows % of Medicaid recipients enrolled via expansion (Q3 2024 data). You can see impact on red states, especially (but not limited to) red states above trend line.
Truer words never spoken (even if not limited to the House...)
May 1, 2025 at 4:49 PM
Truer words never spoken (even if not limited to the House...)
Pretty remarkable (not surprising) that recap of Trump's 1st 100 days mentions Congress just 3 times: Judge says Congress has power of 👛, Trump tells Congress he will shutdown USAID, & 2 House Dems introduce a bill to require weekly DOGE reports to Congress
www.axios.com/visuals/trum...
www.axios.com/visuals/trum...
Trump's boundary-breaking 100 days: A timeline in excruciating detail
How Trump is reshaping the federal government and upending the legal system in his second term.
www.axios.com
April 28, 2025 at 2:42 PM
Pretty remarkable (not surprising) that recap of Trump's 1st 100 days mentions Congress just 3 times: Judge says Congress has power of 👛, Trump tells Congress he will shutdown USAID, & 2 House Dems introduce a bill to require weekly DOGE reports to Congress
www.axios.com/visuals/trum...
www.axios.com/visuals/trum...
Defenders of "Fed independence" have, for now, deterred Trump from firing Powell. But Fed independence remains contingent & fragile. New @goodauth.bsky.social post w/ Mark Spindel on legal, political & historical forces that imperfectly insulate Fed from politics.
goodauthority.org/news/federal...
goodauthority.org/news/federal...
Could the Supreme Court kill the Fed’s independence?
Maybe, but keep your eyes on politics – and the markets.
goodauthority.org
April 24, 2025 at 4:03 PM
Defenders of "Fed independence" have, for now, deterred Trump from firing Powell. But Fed independence remains contingent & fragile. New @goodauth.bsky.social post w/ Mark Spindel on legal, political & historical forces that imperfectly insulate Fed from politics.
goodauthority.org/news/federal...
goodauthority.org/news/federal...
Back by popular demand ... Hope it's not too early to gear up for the next Peepal Conclave 🐤 🐤
April 21, 2025 at 9:54 PM
Back by popular demand ... Hope it's not too early to gear up for the next Peepal Conclave 🐤 🐤
Lots of questions abt Trump's (implied) threat to fire Fed chair. NB: Federal Reserve Act dictates "for cause" removal protection for Fed governors. When lawmakers amended the act in 1977 (1st time they required Senate confirmation of governors as *chair*) they dropped for cause protection for chair
April 17, 2025 at 5:44 PM
Lots of questions abt Trump's (implied) threat to fire Fed chair. NB: Federal Reserve Act dictates "for cause" removal protection for Fed governors. When lawmakers amended the act in 1977 (1st time they required Senate confirmation of governors as *chair*) they dropped for cause protection for chair