Laura Blessing
@leblessing.bsky.social
Political scientist, Senior Fellow at Government Affairs Institute at Georgetown University and lecturer at the McCourt School. Podcast: Congress, Two Beers In. I study Congress, parties, policy (esp tax & budget)
Absolute pleasure being on @c-span.bsky.social Washington Journal this morning to talk about the (likely) government shutdown, what’s happened before, what shutdowns look like, and the ways this time is different
Washington Journal
#CSPAN #CSPANWJ
Skeet at @c-span.bsky.social and cspanwj.bsky.social
Joining Georgetown Uni's Laura Blessing @leblessing.bsky.social on the potential for a #governmentshutdown on 1 October, impact on federal workers and agencies.
WATCH: tinyurl.com/mmfm97s3
#CSPAN #CSPANWJ
Skeet at @c-span.bsky.social and cspanwj.bsky.social
Joining Georgetown Uni's Laura Blessing @leblessing.bsky.social on the potential for a #governmentshutdown on 1 October, impact on federal workers and agencies.
WATCH: tinyurl.com/mmfm97s3
September 28, 2025 at 2:03 PM
Absolute pleasure being on @c-span.bsky.social Washington Journal this morning to talk about the (likely) government shutdown, what’s happened before, what shutdowns look like, and the ways this time is different
Passing the $9.4 B rescissions package requested by the White House, the extent of the cuts approved, and the individual cuts themselves, is a telling action for the House. Congress decides to rescind money regularly, but approving Presidential requests is far more rare.
June 12, 2025 at 8:42 PM
Passing the $9.4 B rescissions package requested by the White House, the extent of the cuts approved, and the individual cuts themselves, is a telling action for the House. Congress decides to rescind money regularly, but approving Presidential requests is far more rare.
www.nytimes.com/live/2025/05...
The fractured House GOP that denied their Speakers a procedural majority last Congress is getting in line. Still plenty of hurdles ahead…
The fractured House GOP that denied their Speakers a procedural majority last Congress is getting in line. Still plenty of hurdles ahead…
Trump Live Updates: Key House Panel Approves Trump’s Megabill After Conservatives Relent
www.nytimes.com
May 19, 2025 at 3:53 AM
www.nytimes.com/live/2025/05...
The fractured House GOP that denied their Speakers a procedural majority last Congress is getting in line. Still plenty of hurdles ahead…
The fractured House GOP that denied their Speakers a procedural majority last Congress is getting in line. Still plenty of hurdles ahead…
Reposted by Laura Blessing
JFC. So far, Trump has caused markets to lose about 14%.
Here's how the same period to date looks under other recent presidential terms
Here's how the same period to date looks under other recent presidential terms
April 4, 2025 at 2:40 PM
JFC. So far, Trump has caused markets to lose about 14%.
Here's how the same period to date looks under other recent presidential terms
Here's how the same period to date looks under other recent presidential terms
An extensive section praising tariffs on the very day that introduced tariffs caused markets to drop significantly (& as the US Economic Policy Uncertainty Index had just risen higher than both the pandemic and Great Recession) is remarkable & commits to pursue policy irrespective of economic effect
March 5, 2025 at 3:24 AM
An extensive section praising tariffs on the very day that introduced tariffs caused markets to drop significantly (& as the US Economic Policy Uncertainty Index had just risen higher than both the pandemic and Great Recession) is remarkable & commits to pursue policy irrespective of economic effect
First mention of asking Congress for legislation in the joint session to Congress is a) revealing: comes an hour in, in a speech showing an executive shedding boundaries and b) asks for tax cuts, the Republican policy über alles
March 5, 2025 at 2:57 AM
First mention of asking Congress for legislation in the joint session to Congress is a) revealing: comes an hour in, in a speech showing an executive shedding boundaries and b) asks for tax cuts, the Republican policy über alles
Reposted by Laura Blessing
The NYT is reporting that the Trump Administration is planning to cut the IRS workforce in half. To do so would cripple the revenue service and therefore the functioning of the U.S. government.
Trump Administration Pushes to Slash I.R.S. Work Force in Half
Losing half of its employees would severely strap the I.R.S., meaning Americans may have to wait longer to receive tax refunds.
www.nytimes.com
March 4, 2025 at 11:00 PM
The NYT is reporting that the Trump Administration is planning to cut the IRS workforce in half. To do so would cripple the revenue service and therefore the functioning of the U.S. government.
Just gave a talk on floor procedure, am too depressed to add this as an example in future talks. Would love more ridiculous but harmless behavior, a Traficant hairdo and a “beam me up” (ok, bad example given the corruption charges; still)
Update: The presiding officer did not call herself to order (and was not called to order by any other member).
March 4, 2025 at 9:58 PM
Just gave a talk on floor procedure, am too depressed to add this as an example in future talks. Would love more ridiculous but harmless behavior, a Traficant hairdo and a “beam me up” (ok, bad example given the corruption charges; still)
@stephencolbert.bsky.social Please do a “better know a federal agency” series. So much material; maybe start with @altusaid.altgov.info
March 4, 2025 at 9:48 PM
@stephencolbert.bsky.social Please do a “better know a federal agency” series. So much material; maybe start with @altusaid.altgov.info
Reposted by Laura Blessing
Our visual examination of what DOGE has been mostly targeting and mostly leaving alone. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
March 4, 2025 at 9:08 PM
Our visual examination of what DOGE has been mostly targeting and mostly leaving alone. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Reposted by Laura Blessing
I had a blast joining the GAI folks on Congress, Two Beers In to discuss my recent report on congressional primaries and their impacts on member behavior! Fun to be a guest on a pod I’ve long listened to! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/c...
Congressional Primaries with J.D. Rackey
Podcast Episode · Congress, Two Beers In · 01/17/2025 · 54m
podcasts.apple.com
January 17, 2025 at 5:39 PM
I had a blast joining the GAI folks on Congress, Two Beers In to discuss my recent report on congressional primaries and their impacts on member behavior! Fun to be a guest on a pod I’ve long listened to! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/c...
New GAI “On The Hill” newsletter piece: my two cents on Jimmy Carter. Carter is both more nuanced & more relevant to today than is usually emphasized: in many ways he presages & hurries the turn towards Reaganism
gai.georgetown.edu/signaling-th...
gai.georgetown.edu/signaling-th...
Signaling the Right Turn: How to Understand Jimmy Carter | The Government Affairs Institute
Many political narratives on the late 1970s are incomplete, simplifying a politically complex legacy of President Carter, who died on December 29. Carter is both more nuanced and more relevant to Amer...
gai.georgetown.edu
January 6, 2025 at 7:11 PM
New GAI “On The Hill” newsletter piece: my two cents on Jimmy Carter. Carter is both more nuanced & more relevant to today than is usually emphasized: in many ways he presages & hurries the turn towards Reaganism
gai.georgetown.edu/signaling-th...
gai.georgetown.edu/signaling-th...
Continuing to enjoy the regular @mattngreen.bsky.social Speaker election/opening a new Congress commentary. Never change, CSPAN.
January 3, 2025 at 9:09 PM
Continuing to enjoy the regular @mattngreen.bsky.social Speaker election/opening a new Congress commentary. Never change, CSPAN.
New GAI On The Hill Newsletter piece out: @loreleikelly.bsky.social writes on the mission and successes of the Modernization Committee—and promising potential next steps. gai.georgetown.edu/modernizatio...
This was a pleasure to edit & inspiring to watch my friend Lorelei work on these issues.
This was a pleasure to edit & inspiring to watch my friend Lorelei work on these issues.
Modernization in Congress: Keeping the Momentum Going | The Government Affairs Institute
Guest Post by Lorelei Kelly , Research Faculty Lead on Congressional Modernization at GeoDES, Georgetown Democracy, Education + Service, McCourt School of Public Policy Hidden beneath divisive campaig...
gai.georgetown.edu
December 12, 2024 at 3:14 PM
New GAI On The Hill Newsletter piece out: @loreleikelly.bsky.social writes on the mission and successes of the Modernization Committee—and promising potential next steps. gai.georgetown.edu/modernizatio...
This was a pleasure to edit & inspiring to watch my friend Lorelei work on these issues.
This was a pleasure to edit & inspiring to watch my friend Lorelei work on these issues.
Just wrote this for work. Trump’s unusual control of the GOP, the weakening of the GOP/its old gatekeepers & the disconnect between econ performance and electoral fortunes (& the public’s misunderstanding of econ policy) undergird this election & the future. gai.georgetown.edu/the-governme...
The Government We Deserve? | The Government Affairs Institute
Election Day 2024 is behind us. The country is taking stock of who we are and where we might be going. The final calls on some congressional races are still forthcoming, as predicted. There are many w...
gai.georgetown.edu
November 7, 2024 at 10:07 PM
Just wrote this for work. Trump’s unusual control of the GOP, the weakening of the GOP/its old gatekeepers & the disconnect between econ performance and electoral fortunes (& the public’s misunderstanding of econ policy) undergird this election & the future. gai.georgetown.edu/the-governme...
Reposted by Laura Blessing
Postmortem election analysis lecture from my GMU classroom today now available.
Slide deck and very amateur recording linked below.
Instructors feel free to use these materials with attribution.
jvictor.gmu.edu/wp-content/u...
Slide deck and very amateur recording linked below.
Instructors feel free to use these materials with attribution.
jvictor.gmu.edu/wp-content/u...
jvictor.gmu.edu
November 7, 2024 at 8:13 PM
Postmortem election analysis lecture from my GMU classroom today now available.
Slide deck and very amateur recording linked below.
Instructors feel free to use these materials with attribution.
jvictor.gmu.edu/wp-content/u...
Slide deck and very amateur recording linked below.
Instructors feel free to use these materials with attribution.
jvictor.gmu.edu/wp-content/u...
Vance’s claim that Trump protected the ACA and worked to make it better is nothing short of Orwellian. My husband had pancreatic cancer as Trump and Republicans in Congress were trying to repeal and replace the legislation keeping him alive.
October 2, 2024 at 3:05 AM
Vance’s claim that Trump protected the ACA and worked to make it better is nothing short of Orwellian. My husband had pancreatic cancer as Trump and Republicans in Congress were trying to repeal and replace the legislation keeping him alive.
Dems missed a Chicago nominating convention comparison: 1916, but for the Republican convention. 5,000 women staged a protest for suffrage. This pic from Jill Lepore’s book on Wonder Woman, noting the advantage Wilson gained from women voters already enfranchised
August 23, 2024 at 3:03 PM
Dems missed a Chicago nominating convention comparison: 1916, but for the Republican convention. 5,000 women staged a protest for suffrage. This pic from Jill Lepore’s book on Wonder Woman, noting the advantage Wilson gained from women voters already enfranchised
I put this piece out earlier this week, on the shift to suspension of the rules and the disarming of the Speaker since 2023: gai.georgetown.edu/disarming-th... Fun fact: 2023 was the least legislatively productive year (metric: # public laws passed per calendar year) since 1851.
March 15, 2024 at 6:56 PM
I put this piece out earlier this week, on the shift to suspension of the rules and the disarming of the Speaker since 2023: gai.georgetown.edu/disarming-th... Fun fact: 2023 was the least legislatively productive year (metric: # public laws passed per calendar year) since 1851.
Reposted by Laura Blessing
New features launched 🚀🚀at Good Authority— including “Good to Know” explainer posts. We welcome proposals for Good to Know explainers via the link below. Eager to hear from political scientists interested in contributing in this way to @goodauth.bsky.social Polisky
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
📢Announcing Good Authority Teaching Resources📢
Today @goodauth.bsky.social launches new polisky resources: new Good to Know explainers, Good Playlists, topic guides, & more. We accept proposals for explainers & playlists. Details on new resources page. Bookmark it! goodauthority.org/news/good-au...
Today @goodauth.bsky.social launches new polisky resources: new Good to Know explainers, Good Playlists, topic guides, & more. We accept proposals for explainers & playlists. Details on new resources page. Bookmark it! goodauthority.org/news/good-au...
Announcing Good Authority teaching resources
American politics, international relations, comparative politics, political science, and more teaching resources from Good Authority!
goodauthority.org
January 9, 2024 at 1:01 PM
New features launched 🚀🚀at Good Authority— including “Good to Know” explainer posts. We welcome proposals for Good to Know explainers via the link below. Eager to hear from political scientists interested in contributing in this way to @goodauth.bsky.social Polisky
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Side by side coverage of the high heel race in dupont this evening and the House Republican conference voting is the news I want to watch, complete with interviews on policy positions.
October 25, 2023 at 1:39 AM
Side by side coverage of the high heel race in dupont this evening and the House Republican conference voting is the news I want to watch, complete with interviews on policy positions.
Dems will regret not voting to table or voting present on MTV. Did not see Scalise leaving the race this early, though. A Jordan speakership boggles the mind- Congress passes aid to Israel and little else?
October 13, 2023 at 12:58 AM
Dems will regret not voting to table or voting present on MTV. Did not see Scalise leaving the race this early, though. A Jordan speakership boggles the mind- Congress passes aid to Israel and little else?
My thoughts on how Israel puts pressure on the speakership election, for @theconversationus.bsky.social . The congressional consensus is that the speaker pro tem is limited: no bringing up bills. Who fills the position and how quickly will have consequences. theconversation.com/why-the-cris...
October 11, 2023 at 3:37 PM
My thoughts on how Israel puts pressure on the speakership election, for @theconversationus.bsky.social . The congressional consensus is that the speaker pro tem is limited: no bringing up bills. Who fills the position and how quickly will have consequences. theconversation.com/why-the-cris...
I wrote about what's funded in a shutdown, what isn't, and why--and what's different this time around.
Great piece on what this shutdown, different from the last, will mean, from Laura Blessing. theconversation.com/what-will-th...
What will this government shutdown shut down? Social Security and the IRS keep going; SBA loans and ...
You won’t be able to ignore a government shutdown. From delayed business loans to slower mortgage applications and postponed food inspections, the effects could be substantial.
theconversation.com
September 30, 2023 at 5:55 PM
I wrote about what's funded in a shutdown, what isn't, and why--and what's different this time around.