OUR PERSPECTIVES

Yesterday, the House Appropriations Committee opened its electronic portal for FY27 earmark requests for House members, allowing them to submit programmatic, language, and Community Project Funding (CPF – the House’s designation for earmarks) requests on behalf of their constituents. Deadlines for each House account are below: Friday, March 13 th : ·       Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration ·       Commerce, Justice, and Science ·       Financial Ser

This week, the Supreme Court strikes down IEEPA tariffs, DHS funding remains stalled, and House Republicans move their Farm Bill forward. Check it all out in this week's BG3! Click the image below to download a full PDF version of the document.

Today, the Supreme Court struck down President Trump's IEEPA Tariffs. Check out our latest infographic highlighting the reactions from politicians. Click here or the image below to download a full PDF version of the document.

In a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court of the United States upheld a lower court’s ruling and determined that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) does not provide the president with the authority to initiate tariffs. This was somewhat expected given the general tenor of several justices during oral arguments months ago.  However, what comes next (which is already the subject of a large guessing game in DC) is somewhat unknown, with a few exceptions.  We do k

There are two realities in DC – (1) there are a lot of advocacy campaigns, and (2) many of them are fairly unsophisticated. Like many things, advocacy is an art, not a science. It requires know-how, flexibility, analysis of metrics, and a comprehensive plan. Most advocacy plans fail before they even launch, especially those driven by newcomers to this space. It is largely because they are either approaching advocacy in manner that is too simple and linear, or they are just no

In today’s Outdoor Report, President Trump nominates Scott Socha to lead the National Park Service, the Make America Beautiful Again Commission releases its conservation strategy, and House Republicans unveil their Farm Bill. Check it all out and more in the latest Outdoor Report! Click here to download a full PDF version of the report.

Last week, House Agriculture Committee Chairman GT Thompson (R-PA) introduced the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 , their version of the Farm Bill designed to update federal agriculture, nutrition, rural development, conservation, and food policy. This bill aims to build on the agricultural, research, and conservation provisions that were enacted last year through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act  (H.R. 1) while completing the remaining policy frameworks across th

As partisan divides persist, committee effectiveness is critical. Our latest infographic outlines which committees are turning legislation into law. Click here or the image below to download a full PDF version of the document.

Check out the most recent #RuralReport for details on the House's recently introduced farm bill package, reactions to the bill, and the status of the Senate's progress on their own bill. Click here to download the full PDF version of the Rural Report.

This week, DHS funding negotiations falter, the House unveils its Farm Bill, and a sweeping housing bill clears the chamber. Check it all out in this week's BG3! Click the image below to download a full PDF version of the document.

We are just under 265 days from the midterm elections (with early primaries just around the corner), so almost everything needs to be viewed through both a policy and political lens at this point...and increasingly so as the election nears.  Doing this helps to separate messaging from policy, while also appreciating how closely the two are aligned heading into a consequential election cycle.     Trade is no exception.  The President's tariff agenda has consistently been a tal

Check out this week's #AppropriationsUpdate  for insights on the path forward for DHS funding and what committees are doing as they prepare for FY27. Click here or the image below to download a PDF of the full document.

This week, a short shutdown ends as Congress passes a funding deal, partisan tensions rise over DHS funding, and Trump and Xi signal progress on trade. Check it all out in this week's BG3! Click the image below to download a full PDF version of the document.

In today’s Sustainability Report, we highlight bipartisan momentum on permitting reform, outstanding political challenges, and the political roadblocks that remain. Click here or the image below to download a full PDF version of the latest Sustainability Report.

Take a look at the newest #RuralReport for an update on a potential farm bill hurdle and USDA's pause on specific loan guarantees through the REAP program. Click here to download the full PDF version of the Rural Report.

Take a look at this week's #AppropriationsUpdate for details on the possibility of a partial government shutdown and how earmarks have driven appropriations movement despite pushback. Click here or the image below to download a PDF of the full document.

Check out January's #CongressionalUpdate  – a real-time snapshot of legislative activity, tracking the number of bills introduced, passed, failed, vetoed, and signed.  Click here or the image below to download a PDF of the full document.

This week, a brief shutdown appears likely as Congress finalizes spending bills, President Trump names a Fed Chair nominee, and early 2026 polls favor Democrats. Check it all out in this week's BG3! Click the image below to download a full PDF version of the document.

As soon as Congress passed a continuing resolution until January 30 th , pretty much everyone in DC circled the date on their calendar as the next possible government shutdown.  However, at the time, both parties were committed to avoiding that scenario – even if it meant another continuing resolution for the legislation not yet finalized in time.  All that said, we are now on the eve of a government shutdown that has complexities – policy, politics, and parliamentary logisti

Before a second killing by ICE agents in Minneapolis over the weekend created major objections to advancing increased Homeland Security funding (and could very well lead to the second government shutdown in 6 months), the remaining 6 FY26 appropriations bills were largely on a glidepath to final passage in the Senate. And despite one of the tensest political environments in modern history, the progress on moving 9 out of 12 appropriations bills up to this point is in no small