OUR PERSPECTIVES

Unless you are deeply engaged in the healthcare package, you are probably looking at 2026 as the next opportunity to influence policy.  If you are looking to run the same playbook as you did in 2025, you will effectively be playing baseball on a tennis court. Strategies need to be realigned for the new dynamics that will come with the new year ahead.    Different Time Window:   Next year, the real window for policy is the first six months of the year (when political risk rem

In DC, big-ticket policy solutions are always a hard sell, made even harder by an upcoming election. By late spring, Congress’s focus shifts from legislating to campaigning, making the next four months the real window to secure movement on big-ticket items. The compressed timeline matters, and what’s moving impacts the broader ecosystem. Here’s how: · Appropriators will be busy.   Congress has a January 30 deadline to pass the remaining appropriations bill. These will be must

Next Thursday, the House Agriculture Committee is scheduled to hear testimony on reauthorization of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). The CFTC’s last full reauthorization was in 2008. Since then, its remit has expanded dramatically (after the post-2008 global financial reforms) to cover swaps, derivatives, and a much broader set of markets, including digital assets, environmental/commodity derivatives, and novel financial products. Reauthorizing CFTC is much m

If we’ve learned anything from recent special elections, it’s that affordability has emerged as voters’ top priority. This flashing red light will inform how elected officials message their bills, shape committee agendas, and frame the work Congress is delivering back home. Both parties are centering affordability, but with different frames. Republicans are focusing on supply-side drivers, such as streamlining regulations, permitting delays, and agency actions they argue infl

As the politics of the last decade have grown dicier, those of us trying to advance any policy agenda have had to speed up and prolong our sprints back and forth across the aisle.  So, the Thanksgiving break is truly a rare chance to take a breath.  It’s also a chance to get outside and deliberately think about the common ground we have.   There’s no getting around how tension-filled life has become in the policy mosh pit. At the same time that the political environment has b

This time last year, an array of advocates backing the EXPLORE Act were on a roller coaster of expectations. The legislation had over 80 pages of detailed updates to outdoor recreation rules, with provisions on permitting reform, accessibility, needs of gateway communities, technology upgrades, and more. Some sections were in the works for over a decade, and the House had finally passed the bill by unanimous consent in April 2024.  It took an all-out push and final-minute, M

Within the bill to open the federal government, Congress passed nearly 100 extensions - most through September 30, 2026. Below are the extensions included in the CR. Click here or the image below to download a full PDF version of the document.

The Trump Administration released a pre-publication version of a proposed rule  to reduce the number of U.S. streams and wetlands that are covered by federal water pollution protections – offering new parameters for protected waterways, groundwater, ditches, converted cropland, and more. The proposal comes two years after the Supreme Court’s decision in Sackett v. EPA , which narrowed the definition of "waters of the United States" (WOTUS) and, by extension, the protections a

Congress didn’t just avert a shutdown last week; it quietly extended nearly 100 expiring authorities across every part of the federal government. While these extensions look like routine maintenance to keep key programs functioning, they reveal a Congress bracing for limited action in 2026. For most issues in Congress, tackling many issues on must-pass bills tends to be the surest way to find bipartisan consensus, and this time was no different. The reauthorizations signal se

This government shutdown broke the record for the longest government shutdown (41 days) and will be studied by academicians for years.  In some ways, this mirrored previous shutdowns, but it also represents some new dynamics that are worth thinking about.  Here are 5 takeaways from the longest government shutdown in history.     Urgency Was Scarce:   For most of the shutdown, there was not as much urgency for resolution as one would expect (or that we are used to from past sh

In our latest video, Brumidi Group Managing Partner Charles Cooper gives insight on how organizations can take advantage of policymaking going into the new year.

Tribes Should Submit Written Comments on USDA’s Proposed Reorganization The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is pursuing a reorganization that could significantly alter how it delivers programs and engages with Tribal governments. While USDA describes the effort as a way to improve efficiency, it raises concerns about potential impacts on Tribal sovereignty, access to services, and the federal government’s trust and treaty obligations. As Tribal leaders submit comments t

The election last night certainly made headlines and brought forward all sorts of interesting analysis. Here are 5 takeaways from the election:    Democrats Win Big:    There is no question that Democrats had a huge night.  Not only did Democrats win, but they did so with significant margins - both the gubernatorial and New York City mayoral elections well outperformed their predecessors. This highlights strong Democratic voter intensity across the board.     Not an Ideologic

As results from yesterday’s election emerge, the Brumidi Group team shares key insights and implications. Click here or the image below to download a full PDF version of the document.

Today, municipalities across the country are voting on key leadership changes and legal measures. Check out our latest infographic highlighting the four critical ballots to watch. Click here or the image below to download a full PDF version of the document.

World leaders and sustainability professionals will travel to Belém, Brazil, next week for COP30 – a global climate conference. The Paris Agreement emerged from past COPs, where global leaders convened to drive an international climate agenda. External stakeholders have increasingly helped drive the conversation at these COPs and use the convening as an opportunity to share their own organizational sustainability agenda and network with companies, NGOs, and governments.   Thi

There are obviously all sorts of impacts when a government shutdown occurs, especially this late in the year.  One that may be underestimated is the legislative schedule.  As the remaining calendar condenses for the year, there is less time to advance legislation (especially with the House and Senate largely not legislating during the shutdown).  Here is a partial list of issues that will need to compete for floor time.   National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Reauthorizatio

Last week, Energy Secretary Chris Wright directed the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to fast-track rulemaking to speed up how large electricity loads (think data centers and industrial facilities) connect to the grid. The directive reflects the growing federal acknowledgment that new technologies are reshaping America’s grid. While the order originated from DOE, it lands squarely within FERC’s independent jurisdiction, testing how the agency under its new leaders

Despite all eyes on the government shutdown, trade policy deserves attention in the coming weeks.  President Trump announced a 10% increase in tariffs for imports from Canada after calling off negotiations on trade. The President’s change in position was spurred by television ads against U.S. tariffs that were sponsored by Ontario. This, of course, could change as Canada’s leadership works to strengthen the relationship and lower tensions with their largest trade partner.  It

Right now, all eyes are on how Congress will move past this stalemate and reopen the government. The next challenge will be reopening. Reopening the government, especially after a long shutdown, is not as easy as flipping on a switch. It’s a slow, uneven process that shows the gaps in payments staffing, and agency priorities, which rolls onto states, businesses, and nonprofits that partner closely with the federal government. Here are a few areas to watch when the government