HeyJaredPolitics and Sausage Making by Mark Strand
“If you like laws and sausages, you should never watch either one being made.” - Otto Von Bismark
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- Aug 13, 2026
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- Jul 11, 2026
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Congress Did Not Lose Its Power. They Gave It Away (opens the original)
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One of the most persistent trends in American governance is the weakening of the legislative branch of government. Both bodies struggle to get any meaningful legislation passed and usually end up using gimmicks and all-or-nothing omnibus bills to accomplish the one thing the Constitution requires of them – a budget. And while Congress dithers, the Executive branch, under both parties, sucks up Congress’ constitutional power for itself.Congress appears weak, not because the Constitution made it w
How the Filibuster Broke the “Greatest Deliberative Body in the World” (opens the original)
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For most of my career, I defended the filibuster as a guardrail that forced the Senate to build bipartisan coalitions and moderate the House’s excesses. That is no longer how it works. Today, the filibuster has turned the Senate into a veto point on everything, left both parties playing permanent defense, and driven policy‑making into the hands of Presidents and the courts. If Republicans do not end it in order to govern now, Democrats will end it when they next control Washington. The real ques
What is the difference between a President allowing a bill to become law and a pocket veto? (opens the original)
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By Mark StrandThe President is allowing the bipartisan housing bill to become law without his signature. Under Article I, Section 7, Clause 2 of the Constitution, if ten days (Sundays excepted) pass after a bill is presented and the President has not signed or returned it, the bill “shall be a law, in like manner as if he had signed it,” so long as Congress has not adjourned in a way that prevents its return. In that circumstance, presidential inaction results in the bill becoming law.There is a
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