Making Congress functional again is having a moment. The debates over ending the filibuster and legislation to prevent hyper-partisan congressional districts have received the most attention in this space so far. But lawmakers did quietly take an important step forward on mending congressional dysfunction when they reinstated the practice of earmarking the federal budget, reversing a decade-old ban. Lawmakers should build on this fix to the budget process by cracking down on "poison pill" appropriations riders, a gimmick that proliferated in the vacuum left by the earmark ban.

On December 1, CPR Member Scholar Wendy Wagner testified about the need for constructive reforms to the Administrative Procedure Act and the way federal agencies develop public protections for our health, safety, and environment. Wagner presented her testimony to the House Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial, and Administrative Law.