Levin Center for Oversight and Democracy

The @Levin_Center is appalled that a president of our country would say he is “glad” that a fellow countryman is dead, particularly a person of such accomplishment and commitment to public service as Robert Mueller.

March is National Reading Month, so we thought we'd offer some staff recommendations! Here are Ben's: The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder by David Grann

March is National Reading Month, so we thought we'd offer some staff recommendations! Here are Linda's: Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry Middlemarch by George Eliot Killer Angels by Michael Shaara Weight of Ink by Rachel Kaddish Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf

March is National Reading Month, so we thought we'd offer some staff recommendations! Here are Jim's: The Known World by Edward Jones Atonement by Ian McEwan Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry

March is National Reading Month, so we thought we'd offer some staff recommendations! Here are Clara's: Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier Middlemarch by George Eliot Jade City by Fonda Lee Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

March is National Reading Month, so we thought we'd offer some staff recommendations! Here are Kyle's: Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë The Wedding People by Alison Espach The Prisoner in His Palace by Will Bardenwerper Truman by David McCullough

March is National Reading Month, so we thought we'd offer some staff recommendations! Here are Margaux's: If Cats Disappeared from the World by Genki Kawamura Veronica Speedwell series by Deanna Raybourn Winter Journal by Paul Auster Harry Potter series (with her daughter)

It was hard to serve in Congress in the early years. Travel was difficult. Members had to live away from their home and jobs for months at a time. Pay was modest-$6/day. According to the National Archives, 1/3 of the Senate resigned from office in the 1790’s. #America250 #USA250

📢Announcing our 2026 D.C. Intern Cohort! Jeremiah Arnold, a 1L at @_WayneLaw and @SVSU grad, majored in Criminal Justice and Sociology and interned with the SVSU Foundation. He’ll serve on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

📢Announcing our 2026 D.C. Intern Cohort! Kendall Yancey, a 1L at @_WayneLaw and @_HamptonU graduate, is interested in foreign policy, national security, and legislative oversight. He’ll serve his internship with the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party.

📢Announcing our 2026 D.C. Intern Cohort! Shannon Higgins, a 1L at @_WayneLaw, studied Biopsychology, Cognition & Neuroscience at the @UMich and worked with Chicago Appleseed Center for Fair Courts. She’ll intern with the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations.

The 1st Cong. met on 3/4/1789.  “It is arguably the most important Congress in U.S. history.” (Ntl. Arch.) Everything it did was new: est. rules of operation; created Depts of State, War, Treasury, and a temporary postal service; raised revenues; and est. the federal judiciary.

On this day in 1789, the first session of the United States Congress convened at Federal Hall, launching the new government created by the United States Constitution. The First Congress would soon pass the Bill of Rights — helping shape American democracy. #OnThisDay #America250

Principles for evaluating nominees to be the next US Comptroller General — from integrity and independence to data-driven vision and leadership. These criteria aim to strengthen GAO’s role as Congress’s nonpartisan watchdog. Read the full letter ➡️ americalabs.org/wp-content/upl…

Members of Congress can and must change their institution to return our elected legislature to the center of policy making – as the framers of our system intended and as the Constitution requires. nytimes.com/2026/02/27/opi…

Washington worked with L’Enfant on plans for the capital. L’Enfant placed Congress on the highest spot, "an unmistakable message about the primacy of the people’s branch of government.” (Chernow) Washington agreed to the plan. L’Enfant wrote no site could rival it. #America250

In 1st Cong. Robt. Morris asked Congress to investigate his handling of money during the revolution to clear his name. The House created a select cmte. Madison said the House must have the fullest information to do justice to the country & public officers. Thanks @USHouseHistory!

The fantastic instructors of the 22nd Congressional Oversight Boot Camp! Dave Rapallo, Andy Wright, Ashley Callen, and Tim Stretton (@POGOwatchdog).

Our 2025 Annual Report is out now! Our programs are reaching a wide network of lawmakers, legislative staff, educators, academics, and students. Check out our key impact metrics highlights from last year. levin-center.org/annual-report/

"We must demand that Congress fulfill its responsibility under the Constitution to act as a check on the executive branch and against the return of encroaching autocracy." Read our director Jim Townsend's Op-Ed in @thehill today. thehill.com/opinion/congre…