Ashley Nagel retweeted
What exactly is AI, anyway? As states develop statutory definitions to govern the technology, getting the answer right matters.
October's State of the Art looks at South Carolina, where lawmakers are studying other states' definitions and consulting experts to inform their own.
October's State of the Art looks at South Carolina, where lawmakers are studying other states' definitions and consulting experts to inform their own.
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Ashley Nagel retweeted
Congress needs to have a science and technology policymaking capability. It used to have one, and @RepMarkTakano has been a consistent leader in trying to restore the functions and capabilities of the Office of Technology Assessment.
So what did it do, and what happened to it?
So what did it do, and what happened to it?
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Ashley Nagel retweeted
Claude is now approved for Senate staff use! As more AI tools become available, office policies need to keep up.
We've updated our AI use policy template to reflect the latest Senate guidance and evolving AI landscape. A good time for House and Senate offices to revisit theirs!
We've updated our AI use policy template to reflect the latest Senate guidance and evolving AI landscape. A good time for House and Senate offices to revisit theirs!
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Ashley Nagel retweeted
Americans deserve better laws.
Case in point, the Bank Secrecy Act does not account for inflation. As a result, a law intended only to reach "abnormally large" transactions now applies to far more conduct.
@EconWithNick (@CatoInstitute) documents this problematic drift:
Case in point, the Bank Secrecy Act does not account for inflation. As a result, a law intended only to reach "abnormally large" transactions now applies to far more conduct.
@EconWithNick (@CatoInstitute) documents this problematic drift:
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CMI #8: Guarantee Votes on Bipartisan Amendments
Moar rulez reforms!
Amendments to bills are how members fix flaws, add protections for their districts, and find common ground. Today the House blocks almost all of them.
@RSI's @jdalrymple_esq, @protctdemocracy's cpolisci's @ProfJRoberts have an idea: any amendment cosponsored by enough members of both parties gets a guaranteed vote👇
Moar rulez reforms!
Amendments to bills are how members fix flaws, add protections for their districts, and find common ground. Today the House blocks almost all of them.
@RSI's @jdalrymple_esq, @protctdemocracy's cpolisci's @ProfJRoberts have an idea: any amendment cosponsored by enough members of both parties gets a guaranteed vote👇
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Why amendments matter: a bill written by a few leaders and staff will miss things. Amendments let the 435 members who represent the whole country weigh in.
Before a bill reaches the House floor, leadership sets the terms of debate through a “rule.” An open rule lets any member offer an amendment as long as it relates to the bill. The House hasn’t used one since 2016.
A new Protect Democracy and R Street paper proposes guaranteeing a vote on amendments cosponsored by a set number of Republicans and Democrats. Partisan messaging amendments won't qualify.
Learn more from: rstreet.org/research/renew…
Before a bill reaches the House floor, leadership sets the terms of debate through a “rule.” An open rule lets any member offer an amendment as long as it relates to the bill. The House hasn’t used one since 2016.
A new Protect Democracy and R Street paper proposes guaranteeing a vote on amendments cosponsored by a set number of Republicans and Democrats. Partisan messaging amendments won't qualify.
Learn more from: rstreet.org/research/renew…
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Ashley Nagel retweeted
NEW national survey from @NavigatorSurvey on AI
Two-thirds want more regulation of AI, only 12% want less — and that holds across parties (74% of Dems, 61% of Republicans, 56% of independents) and even among people who use it every week and like it.
Two-thirds want more regulation of AI, only 12% want less — and that holds across parties (74% of Dems, 61% of Republicans, 56% of independents) and even among people who use it every week and like it.
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CMI #7: Require the House to hold an annual hearing on tech capacity
'Tis the season for House rules proposals. POPVOX Foundation’s recommendation package for the 120th has eight ideas. #8 is my favorite👇
'Tis the season for House rules proposals. POPVOX Foundation’s recommendation package for the 120th has eight ideas. #8 is my favorite👇
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Every two years, the House adopts its own rules, the rulebook for how bills move, how committees are staffed, and how oversight gets done.
One of the main tools of congressional oversight is the hearing. It’s how committees take testimony, ask hard questions, and hold people accountable. The House frequently points that tool outward at agencies, and sometimes inward to discuss ethics and appropriations.
POPVOX says to use it to purposefully oversee the House’s own technology. Staff in both parties complain that the House’s tech processes are slow and opaque. Long waits for software approvals. Blocked websites. No straight answer on AI tools.
The Committee on House Administration should hold a hearing at least once each session (roughly once a year), where Members can see where things stand with their tech requests, understand why certain tradeoffs are being made, and decide whether they agree.
One of the main tools of congressional oversight is the hearing. It’s how committees take testimony, ask hard questions, and hold people accountable. The House frequently points that tool outward at agencies, and sometimes inward to discuss ethics and appropriations.
POPVOX says to use it to purposefully oversee the House’s own technology. Staff in both parties complain that the House’s tech processes are slow and opaque. Long waits for software approvals. Blocked websites. No straight answer on AI tools.
The Committee on House Administration should hold a hearing at least once each session (roughly once a year), where Members can see where things stand with their tech requests, understand why certain tradeoffs are being made, and decide whether they agree.
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Ashley Nagel retweeted
Big step coming for Senate offices: Claude is expected to be approved for staff use soon, according to @BGOV's @viaCristiano. Whatever tool your team uses (or is exploring), we can help! Free, 1-hr, closed-door AI training with demos and hands-on practice. popvox.org/ai-trainings
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Ashley Nagel retweeted
Agreed! And that's why it is so important staffers and Members are trained on how to properly use the tools!
That's exactly what my colleagues and I at POPVOX Foundation are working on: free, hands-on AI trainings and a sample AI use policy to help offices set additional guardrails.
popvox.org/ai-resources/a…
That's exactly what my colleagues and I at POPVOX Foundation are working on: free, hands-on AI trainings and a sample AI use policy to help offices set additional guardrails.
popvox.org/ai-resources/a…
The effect of this will be entirely staffer driven. Good staffers who understand what’s at stake will use it like any other tool - to maximize effectiveness and efficiency. It will also mean more mistakes if individual offices don’t put in guardrails for how it’s used.
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The infrastructure Anthropic uses to develop AI was optimized for faster future development. These time savings are wild. Nothing is slowing down, that's for sure
anthropic.com/engineering/re…
anthropic.com/engineering/re…
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CMI #6: Congress should fund itself more
Full stop, that's it, that's the idea
usafacts.org/articles/agenc…
Full stop, that's it, that's the idea
usafacts.org/articles/agenc…
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So U.S. law has been missing for a week and nobody seems to care?!!??? 🤷🏻♀️😵💫😖
We can do better
We can do better
Sometimes the metaphors hit way too close to home.
America.gov launched September 29 with a Steve Jobs-style spectacular.
UScode.house.gov has been down since Oct 1. with nary a tweet nor post.
For fans of the Legislative Branch, this is all just a little s hoping in the 120th Congress decides to get its mojo back!
marcidale.substack.com/p/the-house-is…
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Ashley Nagel retweeted
Over the past several decades, deliberation in the Senate has nearly ground to a halt thanks to toxic, partisan political culture- diminishing the Senate as an institution.
We need change.
That’s why @SenJeffMerkley & I announced a sweeping, bipartisan proposal that will helpeduce the likelihood of shutdowns & omnibuses, & help get things done for the American ppl.
We need change.
That’s why @SenJeffMerkley & I announced a sweeping, bipartisan proposal that will helpeduce the likelihood of shutdowns & omnibuses, & help get things done for the American ppl.
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Ashley Nagel retweeted
It's time to talk about HOUSE RULES for the 120th Congress (that starts Jan 2027)
This is NOT A TIME FOR LEGISLATIVE BUSINESS AS USUAL.
- New tech announcements (and threats) are coming out every day
- The Executive Branch is racing to adopt AI & many agencies are incorporating algoeir processes
- "Oversight" can no longer just be smart people producing 100-page reports after 2 years of analysis.
The world is moving faster and the only way Congress stays relevant is if it GIVES ITSELF THE TOOLS to keep up.
at @popvoxfdn we've got some ideas. (Eight, to be exact!)
popvox.org/blog/rules-rec…
This is NOT A TIME FOR LEGISLATIVE BUSINESS AS USUAL.
- New tech announcements (and threats) are coming out every day
- The Executive Branch is racing to adopt AI & many agencies are incorporating algoeir processes
- "Oversight" can no longer just be smart people producing 100-page reports after 2 years of analysis.
The world is moving faster and the only way Congress stays relevant is if it GIVES ITSELF THE TOOLS to keep up.
at @popvoxfdn we've got some ideas. (Eight, to be exact!)
popvox.org/blog/rules-rec…
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CMI #5: More bipartisan bills get votes in the Senate
Bipartisan bills go through extensive work in committee, then never get a vote, for or against. Sens. Merkley and Daines have some ideas on how to fix that👇
Bipartisan bills go through extensive work in committee, then never get a vote, for or against. Sens. Merkley and Daines have some ideas on how to fix that👇
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The problem: lots of work goes into bipartisan bills at the committee level, building in expert opinion, interest group input, agency feedback, and popular support. Then they die without a vote.
Sens. Daines (R-Montana) and Merkley (D-Oregon) want to fix it, without touching the filibuster. "Across the last four Congresses, there have been 665 bipartisan bills passing through committees that go to the elephant graveyard," says Daines. Their ideas:
- Cut the dead time. Remove extra votes and mandatory waiting periods.
- A fast lane for bills the whole Senate backs. Bills with overwhelming support across the full Senate get a quick, time-limited vote, if committee leaders from both parties sign off.
- A shortcut for bills the committee backs. Bills with strong bipartisan support in committee get a one-day fast track to the floor and pass with a simple majority.
- A quicker path for spending bills. Less reliance on “zombie” stopgap funding, with plenty of chances to amend.
"We had productive professional lives in functional institutions, and what the hell happened to the Senate?" Merkley said, summing up complaints he’s heard from colleagues. "The American people are saying the same thing."
Read more from Semafor: semafor.com/article/10/07/…
Sens. Daines (R-Montana) and Merkley (D-Oregon) want to fix it, without touching the filibuster. "Across the last four Congresses, there have been 665 bipartisan bills passing through committees that go to the elephant graveyard," says Daines. Their ideas:
- Cut the dead time. Remove extra votes and mandatory waiting periods.
- A fast lane for bills the whole Senate backs. Bills with overwhelming support across the full Senate get a quick, time-limited vote, if committee leaders from both parties sign off.
- A shortcut for bills the committee backs. Bills with strong bipartisan support in committee get a one-day fast track to the floor and pass with a simple majority.
- A quicker path for spending bills. Less reliance on “zombie” stopgap funding, with plenty of chances to amend.
"We had productive professional lives in functional institutions, and what the hell happened to the Senate?" Merkley said, summing up complaints he’s heard from colleagues. "The American people are saying the same thing."
Read more from Semafor: semafor.com/article/10/07/…
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