Impeachment Investigations: Law and Process (CRS)
The procedures that govern congressional impeachment investigations are largely left to the discretion of the House and, in the case of a trial, to the discretion of the Senate.
A new publication from the Congressional Research Service summarizes the options. It “also describes some of the ways in which an impeachment investigation, as compared to a more traditional investigation for legislative or oversight purposes, might bolster the House’s ability to obtain, either voluntarily or through the courts, information from the executive branch.” Finally, it “briefly describes possible future steps that might follow an impeachment inquiry, including possible action by the Senate.”
See Impeachment Investigations: Law and Process, CRS Legal Sidebar, October 2, 2019
Some other noteworthy new CRS publications include the following.
Ukraine: Background, Conflict with Russia, and U.S. Policy, updated September 19, 2019
Military Space Reform: FY2020 NDAA Legislative Proposals, CRS In Focus, October 2, 2019
American War and Military Operations Casualties: Lists and Statistics, updated September 24, 2019
Defense Primer: Defense Support of Civil Authorities, CRS In Focus, October 2, 2019
January saw us watching whether the government would fund science. February has been about how that funding will be distributed, regulated, and contested.
This rule gives agencies significantly more authority over certain career policy roles. Whether that authority improves accountability or creates new risks depends almost entirely on how agencies interrupt and apply it.
Our environmental system was built for 1970s-era pollution control, but today it needs stable, integrated, multi-level governance that can make tradeoffs, share and use evidence, and deliver infrastructure while demonstrating that improved trust and participation are essential to future progress.
Durable and legitimate climate action requires a government capable of clearly weighting, explaining, and managing cost tradeoffs to the widest away of audiences, which in turn requires strong technocratic competency.