You’ve undoubtedly noticed how up-in-arms everyone becomes when the government is on the verge of shutting down. I’ve also noticed that the people who most loudly express their horror at the notion of a partial government closure seem totally comfortable…
In early January, as then-future and now-former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) was in the midst of the political fight of his life, this column excoriated him as an “empty suit and a quintessential Swamp creature … whose main lodestar…
President Andrew Jackson’s enemies hated him. In fact, on March 28, 1834 — with just over two years left in his second and final term (Jackson’s successor and vice president, Martin Van Buren, would be sworn in on March 4,…
The meaning of “hubris” has evolved over the centuries. Today, it has come to mean too much pride and even an insolent sense of self-confidence. One of the definitions of the word “ύβρις” in ancient Greece was disregard for the…
Barely two weeks ago, it didn’t look like House Speaker Kevin McCarthy had enough votes to pass a bill to increase the limit on the U.S. national debt. On April 19, when the California Republican released the Limit, Save, Grow…
People are uneasy about the debt ceiling fight. Many think it’s unhealthy and a sign of poor fiscal management, and they are right. However, they should get used to it. These budget fights will keep getting more frequent and more…
Since United States Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) has been in the news of late, I thought it would be interesting to share my firsthand experience as a congressional aide in his office. The American public has not yet had a…
As of last week, the U.S. government has finally begun to take steps to combat the growing threat posed by China. The House of Representatives recently voted to create a new select committee that focuses on the Chinese Communist Party…
After Republicans clinched their narrower-than-expected new House majority in November’s midterm elections, the only relevant questions for Congress-watchers seemed to pertain to what Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s (R-CA) impending House speakership would look like. To what extent, if any, would he…
