News

The First Amendment right to petition the Government for a redress of grievances is now so little understood that, in a 2011 opinion, the Supreme Court indicated that "Some effort must be made to identify the historic and fundamental principles that led to the enumeration of the right to petition in the First Amendment, among other rights fundamental to liberty." Relying on the work of present-day legal scholars, Kathy Goldschmidt delves into this mysterious First Amendment right, including what can be done to revive it to its original state and what that would look like in today's democracy relying on international examples.

Trust between Members of Congress and those they represent—between Congress and the People—is the foundation of our democracy. If, as at present, Congress and the People are skeptical, dismissive, or mistrustful of one another, democracy cannot flourish.

Unfortunately, in the past 15 years congressional approval ratings have rarely exceeded 40%, and for much of that time ratings have been in the teens. That the People have so little faith in Congress is not only alarming, it means that the relationship between Senators and Representatives and those they represent has eroded to a degree that is threatening the practice of democracy.

Congressional Offices: We know how busy you are. We want to give you as ample an opportunity as possible to recognize your office's work over the past year. As such, we have extended the deadline to nominate your office for the 2022 Democracy Awards to Monday, February 28.

We know how busy you are. We want to give you as ample an opportunity as possible to recognize your office's work over the past year. As such, we have extended the deadline to nominate your office for the 2022 Democracy Awards to Monday, February 28.

The following quotes were collected by CMF in a 2011 survey of more than 1,400 congressional staff. The survey focusing on the workplace environment of Congress asked this open-ended question: What does working in Congress mean to you? We hope you’ll peruse this list of amazing quotes from patriots who serve under the dome: the staff of the United States Congress.

Every staffer who has worked in Congress the past two years personally knows and feels the stress created by the pandemic and the January 6 insurrection, and have noted the significant increases of threats to their bosses and their colleagues. As we approach the one-year mark since the January 6 attacks, mental health experts have said the date and news coverage will trigger painful memories and post-traumatic stress. Managers do not have sit back and simply hope January 6, 2022 will just be another day at the office. They should prepare and be proactive in supporting staff who might need help. Here are five things to consider.