Congress Archives

man standing up shaking the hand of a man in a wheelchair

Gen Z is now old enough to run for Congress. What impact could they have?

Political candidates born after 1997 seem to embody the generational shift toward more liberal values that characterizes younger voters. But will they succeed? Northeastern experts weigh in.

by Tanner Stening August 4, 2022

white haired man wearing purple tie sitting at a large desk

Will Biden and Democrats be able to protect abortion rights through legislation?

President Biden’s executive order aimed at protecting access to abortion and other reproductive healthcare services nationwide comes at a time when democratic voters are frustrated and are looking for bold steps from the Democratic Party, Northeastern political science experts say. However, a return to Roe v. Wade level of protection is only possible through a new federal law.

by Alena Kuzub July 7, 2022

Photo by Billie Weiss/Northeastern University

Aoun urges Congress to pass global competitiveness bill with three ‘key provisions’

On Monday, Northeastern President Joseph E. Aoun sent a letter urging passage of a merged bill to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell and House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy.

by David Nordman May 23, 2022

Why does the State of the Union address need a ‘designated survivor’?

Uncertainty about a potential clash between superpowers originally gave birth to the “designated survivor,” Northeastern experts say. Created to ensure government continuity, the designation means a cabinet member would inherit executive power in the event of a catastrophe involving the mass deaths of American leaders.

by Tanner Stening March 1, 2022

President Joe Biden, who spent nearly 40 years in the Senate, has long been protective of the chamber’s norms and traditions. But he now supports a change that would allow voting rights bills to become law with 51 votes instead of 60. Prospects for passage are slim since not all Democrats are on board with changing the filibuster. Graeme Sloan/Sipa via AP Images

What is the filibuster–and why do I keep hearing about it?

Capitol Hill Democrats and Republicans are engaged in a political staring contest over the future of the filibuster. The little-understood delay tactic requires 60 senators out of 100 to agree to advance most bills before they can become law, says Costas Panagopoulos, head of Northeastern's political science department.

by Peter Ramjug January 14, 2022

Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., vice chair of the House panel investigating the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol insurrection, is flanked by Chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., left, and Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., as they vote on pursuing contempt charges against former President Donald Trump's White House chief of staff Mark Meadows for not complying with a subpoena, at the Capitol in Washington. AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite

What does it mean to be in contempt of Congress?

Congress has voted to hold two key advisors to former president Donald J. Trump in contempt as they investigate the deadly Capitol insurrection on Jan. 6. Jeremy Paul, a law professor of law and former dean of Northeastern’s School of Law, explains what that means.

by Hillary Chabot December 16, 2021

Debt ceiling debate flirts with national economic disaster

“Huge, huge consequences would result from any default of U.S. debt,” says William Dickens, distinguished professor of economics and social policy.

by George Donnelly - contributor November 29, 2021

Democrats’ electoral losses were a referendum on Biden, political experts say

The president’s dwindling popularity and stalled legislative agenda cast a shadow over Tuesday’s races, says political science professor Costas Panagopoulos. Republicans outperformed expectations in Virginia and New Jersey, blue states that Biden easily carried last year over Donald Trump. “It’s clear Republicans had a good night,” Panagopoulos says.

by Peter Ramjug November 3, 2021

peter furth wearing neon yellow jacket biking down huntington ave

Where do bikes fit in the infrastructure bill debate?

Biking has been left behind in the debate about critical infrastructure. “I don’t see anything in there that says we’re going to move America ahead on the sustainability front by investing in bikes,” says Peter Furth, professor of civil and environmental engineering at Northeastern.

by Tanner Stening October 29, 2021

Biden’s infrastructure bill includes funding to dismantle ‘racist infrastructure.’ Here’s what it could do.

It’s time the federal government began to undo the damages caused by “racist infrastructure” that have helped shape economic disparities among communities of color and white communities, says Joan Fitzgerald, professor of public policy and urban affairs at Northeastern.

by Tanner Stening September 23, 2021

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