Outcome of midterms unlikely to improve the Senate confirmation process for executive branch nominees The time it takes to confirm presidential appointments in the Senate has grown longer and longer over the past four decades, despite several changes to Senate rules. The results of the midterm elections are unlikely to reverse the 40-year pattern. Read More
Why we can’t afford another government shutdown Shutdowns and continuing resolutions hurt the people this country serves, yet they have become far too common. Partnership Executive Vice President James-Christian Blockwood discusses the harmful effects of shutdowns on critical work , such as strategic planning, and shares solutions to avoiding future shutdowns. Read More
The Partnership for Public Service launches the Alliance for Congress, a new initiative to support Congress and strengthen our democracy The Partnership launches the Alliance for Congress, an ambitious new initiative dedicated to helping Congress become a more effective institution by investing in its own capacity to tackle big issues facing the nation and to better serve the public good. Read More
How can Congress help prevent future pandemics? As the U.S continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, legislators have introduced bills that would establish a bipartisan commission to investigate the pandemic and the national response. Should a commission be established, it must acknowledge how federal management issues affected the nation’s response. Read More
Congressional support agencies lead the way on employee engagement During the COVID-19 pandemic, the nation’s legislature acted to answer the needs of the American people, and they did this with the critical support of two legislative branch agencies that work behind the scenes – the Government Accountability Office and the Congressional Budget Office. Read More
Three lessons to make government work better now and in the future The people in this country, and leaders in the executive branch and Congress can all work together to improve government. These three foundational lessons can help these groups connect to solve today’s challenges and build a more effective government. Read More
Tell your representative to protect our merit-based civil service The president recently signed an executive order that undermines competitive civil service requirements and could replace tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of career civil servants with officials who essentially act as political appointees. Send a letter through the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association to tell Congress to protect our merit-based civil service by opposing this order in their next funding bill. Read More
Five ways Congress can strengthen the independence of inspectors general For inspectors general to fulfill their roles, they need to able to work without interference from agency leaders. Congress must take action to preserve and strengthen the independence of inspectors general. Read More
