September 23, 2022 | The American Prospect
The Problem With Emission Reduction Models
They are partially based on what even some of the modelers acknowledge are faulty data, particularly on methane.
September 21, 2022 | Revolving Door Project Newsletter
Backing Labor is More Powerful Politics Than Ever
For all the hours that people spend at work, stories about working (and working people) rarely get the spotlight. Labor makes headlines mostly when it’s no longer guaranteed. That pattern is clear in the headlines of late, with teachers in Columbus striking for air conditioning and teachers in Seattle striking for raises that barely keep up with inflation; with Minnesota private sector nurses striking to protest understaffing and safety issues that hurt both nurses and patients—all long-standing issues that have seen no national traction for years. Currently, the big labor story is that of the barely-averted freight worker strike, whose demands include such basic requests as not being disciplined for going to the doctor.
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 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.”
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
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 24, 2022 | Revolving Door Project Newsletter
Strong on the Law, Weak on its Aims
“They keep thinking like lawyers without applying commonsense notions of right and wrong or trust and accountability,” POGO’s Walter Shaub commented Friday. “This administration is strong on the law and weak on commitment to the underlying aims of an ethics program.”
August 19, 2022 | The American Prospect
Toni Aguilar Rosenthal Hannah Story Brown
Op-Ed Congressional OversightEthics in GovernmentExecutive BranchGovernanceRevolving Door
Where Has Congress Been on Trump Holdovers?
The public hearings conducted by the House Select Committee have exceeded many Democrats’ expectations, not only as conversation-changing political theater, but also as a venue to uncover vital information. For example, the country now knows that Secret Service text messages from January 6th were deleted from phones shortly thereafter in what the agency has called a “planned migration.” This is what congressional oversight activities should do: extract truths from the halls of power and pursue public accountability accordingly.
August 19, 2022 | InsideSources
Open Letter to President Biden on Executive Gun Control Actions
Dear President Biden:
Since the horrific mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, nationwide calls for stronger gun control have intensified. On May 30, you told reporters that popular legislative proposals like an assault weapons ban and stricter background checks are up to Congress, saying, “I can’t dictate this stuff.”
August 17, 2022 | Revolving Door Project Newsletter
Con Air
With the signing of the budget reconciliation deal this week, it’s time to give credit where credit is due to Chuck Schumer and Joe Manchin who, in a backroom deal, pulled off what was once unimaginable for 21st century Democrats: getting something done. Of course Biden lifted a hand to sign the bill into law, but what now? As climate activists weigh the outside cost of opening vast swaths of public land for new fossil fuel extraction, the quiet of Biden’s federal agencies is highlighted by the cacophony of the ongoing reconciliation day parade.
August 12, 2022
What The Hell Is Anita Dunn Even Allowed To Work On?
“If the White House is taking its ethical obligations seriously and recusing Dunn from all policy areas where she has money in the game, well, what will she even be doing?”
August 10, 2022 | Revolving Door Project Newsletter
A Janus-Faced Energy Bill Changes the Path Forward
We’re in a big moment, as the political landscape liquifies and reshapes beneath our feet. We at RDP expect to be spending significant time in coming months grappling with the vast impact of the 725-page Inflation Reduction Act and its tag-along coal baron wishlist (aka “permitting reform” bill), from the shifts in executive branch authority, funding, and personnel, to the bills’ diverging impacts on millions of people’s lives, and on ecosystems from Cook Inlet to the Appalachian Basin. Here’s a preview of some of the things we expect to focus on…