Our Blog
September 14, 2022 | Revolving Door Project Newsletter
Revolvers Return to the White House
There was something of a family reunion vibe at the White House last Wednesday. A couple hundred guests gathered to witness the unveiling of the official White House portraits of former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama. The guests included dozens of former Obama administration staff, many returning to the White House for the first time in years.

September 13, 2022
New RDP White Paper: Who’s Afraid of Rohit Chopra?
Corporate criminals are terrified of being held accountable by a true public servant, a new Revolving Door Project report reveals.

September 09, 2022
The CEA's New Antitrust Guy: Should We Be Worried?
According to Marshall Steinbaum, Assistant Professor of Economics at the University of Utah, “This appointment signals that the CEA isn’t on board with the administration’s anti-monopoly agenda.” And that could be dangerous.

September 09, 2022 | Revolving Door Project Newsletter
Hack Watch: Morning Joe's Favorite Sleazebag
Rattner has ridden his seven months in the Obama White House to an extremely influential punditry career, in addition to the millions he rakes in as Bloomberg’s money manager.

September 08, 2022 | The American Prospect
To Save The Climate, Hire More Civil Servants
The kind of civil service we build is indicative of what our climate strategy will be.

September 07, 2022
The Confirmations Crisis
As we at the Revolving Door Project have long argued, the crisis surrounding the confirmations (or rather, the lack thereof) of Biden’s highly qualified nominees remains an issue of critical importance.
September 07, 2022 | Revolving Door Project Newsletter
What A Whole-Of-Government Climate Response Would Look Like
On Monday, the Revolving Door Project released a report seven months in the making: a comprehensive look at un- or under-utilized executive branch powers to combat climate change, hold big polluters accountable, and make a tangible difference in the environment and economy for ordinary Americans. Our press release on the report is here, and a two-page summary of some of the highlights is here.

September 05, 2022
Biden Can Take Climate Action Across Range Of Executive Powers, New Report Shows
“Alone, these executive branch policies are wildly insufficient to the task of getting America to meet its climate goals. But all of these policies are necessary components of the puzzle, and represent the lowest-hanging fruit in terms of climate action.”

September 02, 2022 | The American Prospect
Department of CommerceEthics in GovernmentIntellectual PropertyPatent and Trademark OfficeRevolving Door
Trump’s Patent Director Pressured Judges to Rule in His Law Firm’s Favor
There are numerous ways for the Biden administration to implement these safeguards. One option would be to issue a broad executive order that sets a path to restore public trust in the Patent Office. This order would require that the USPTO create a publicly available record of intervention in appeal proceedings by staff other than APJs, and outline new ethics practices that would ensure key USPTO staff recuse themselves from matters involving prior clients or former employers, and refrain from representing clients or working for companies whose cases they decide for at least three years.

September 01, 2022
RELEASE: FTX’s Revolving Door Hiring And Crypto Policy Proposals Are A Danger To Consumers
Government officials in Congress and at independent agencies like the CFTC should focus on protecting consumers and ignore any entreaties from their former colleagues who now represent the industry’s interests.
August 31, 2022 | Revolving Door Project Newsletter
Hannah Story Brown Toni Aguilar Rosenthal
2020 Election/TransitionConfirmations CrisisExecutive BranchGovernanceGovernment Capacity
The Confirmation Crisis Solidifies
The hyper-politicization of the Senate’s confirmation process, and the manipulation of the procedures by which it is governed, has led us to a dire moment in which Republican Senators have effectively given themselves the power to deny President Biden and the public a fully-staffed federal government. This iniquitous procedural politicking has stalled crucial agencies while denying Democrats rightful majorities at several independent agencies and the long-sought regulatory policies those majorities would bring.

August 30, 2022 | Revolving Door Project Newsletter
Hack Watch: Economists Outraged That Politics Is Hard, Actually
If Jason Furman and Melissa Kearney really want to pass legislation to end the student loan system and make college affordable for all — great! What’s the plan, guys?

August 30, 2022
It's Official: The "Coup" At FDIC Was Led By McWilliams, Not Chopra
It is a significant victory for the rule of law that former FDIC Chair Jelena McWilliams doesn’t get to just nullify the lawful vote of the Board even when she lost.

August 26, 2022 | The American Prospect
Marc Goldwein And The Limits Of Deficit Scolding
“All spending is bad” is simply not a useful principle for assessing all policy. What we spend money on speaks to what our leaders want society to value.

August 25, 2022 | Democracy Journal
Eleanor Eagan Hannah Story Brown
Department of JusticeEthics in GovernmentFinancial RegulationIndependent Agencies
Enforcement: The Untapped Resource
Chronic underfunding means that the agencies with the most laudable missions—the ones seeking to protect ordinary Americans from profit-driven exploitation—often struggle to go up against powerful corporate interests. Strengthening funding for enforcement to protect Americans from environmental, health, consumer, and labor standards violations is an existing, easily justifiable tool for changing that balance of power.