Congressional Oversight Training Series
For congressional staff only - not open to the public
Click here for 2009 seminar details and registration information.
ABOUT THE TRAINING SERIES: One of the goals of the Congressional Oversight Training Series (COTS) is to educate participants about the true powers of Congress. The training series will include a combination of hands-on training and exercises, mock hearings, case reviews, and lessons from some of the most accomplished current and former congressional oversight experts and practitioners.
Congressional oversight is a bipartisan responsibility and effort. The Honorary Co-Chairs for the series are Senators Charles Grassley (R-IA) and Carl Levin (D-MI), as well as Representatives Michael Castle (R-DE), Rush Holt (D-NJ), Carolyn Maloney (D-NY).
Following is an announcement for an event POGO is co-hosting for Hill staff. It's not technically a COTS seminar, but we will be distributing copies of the COTS handbook to staffers. Please invite any Hill staffers to attend.
July 10, 2009 - Asserting and Defending the Powers of Oversight: The Relative Powers of Congress and the Executive Branch,
12 noon-1:30 pm, Capitol Visitor's Center (room number provided upon RSVP)
Panelists will discuss the relative powers of Congress and the Executive Branch in congressional oversight and how to new handbooks provide helpful resources for conducting such oversight.
Presenters Include:
Zulima Espinel, Democratic Senior Counsel for National Security, Senate Committee on the Judiciary
Beth Nolan, former White House Counsel for President Clinton
Mark Paoletta, former Republican Chief Counsel for Oversight and Investigations, House Committee on Energy & Commerce
Mort Rosenberg, author/contributor to the handbooks, former Specialist in American Law at the Congressional Research Service staffer, and Constitution Project Fellow
Conrad Martin, executive director of the Stewart R. Mott Charitable Trust, will serve as moderator
Copies of The Art of Congressional Oversight: A User's Guide to Doing It Right, published by POGO this month, and When Congress Comes Calling: A Primer on the Principles, Practices, and Pragmatics of Legislative Inquiry, published by the Constitution Project this month, will both be available at the seminar.
RSVP to rsvp@constitutionproject.org
Co-hosted by the Constitution Project and the Project On Government Oversight (POGO).
July 16, 2009 - “Congress vs. the President: The Scope and Limits of Congressional Oversight Powers”
Noon – 1:30 p.m. (Lunch provided)
Taking place in the National Press Club’s Murrow Room, 529 14th St, NW Washington DC
[The proper role of the legislature is] to watch and control the government; to throw the light of publicity on its acts; to compel a full exposition and justification of all of them which any one considers questionable; to censure them if found condemnable.
– John Stuart Mill
We will discuss the relative powers of Congress and the Executive Branch in congressional oversight and why such authority is vital to our system of government.
Panelists include:
Mickey Edwards; former Member of Congress (R-OK), 1977-1993
Morton Rosenberg; author/contributor to the handbooks; former Specialist in American Law at the Congressional Research Service staffer, and Constitution Project Fellow
Chris Shays; former Member of Congress (R-CT), 1987-2009
Ronald Weich; Assistant Attorney General for Legislative Affairs for President Barack Obama
There will be copies available for purchase of The Art of Congressional Oversight: A User’s Guide to Doing It Right, published by the Project On Government Oversight ($21.10 cash or check made out to Project On Government Oversight)
You will be able to pick up a copy of When Congress Comes Calling: A Primer on the Principles, Practices, and Pragmatics of Legislative Inquiry, published by the Constitution Project and authored by Morton Rosenberg.
The event is free, but RSVPs are required. RSVP to rsvp@constitutionproject.org
Co-hosted by the Constitution Project and the Project On Government Oversight (POGO)
Future Seminars include:
September 18 - Investigating Public and Private Corporations
October 16 - Beginning Seminar: How to Prepare For An Oversight Hearing;
November 20 - Overcoming Common Obstacles in your Investigations
December 18 - Appropriations - Using the Power of the Purse to Do Oversight
While these seminars are targeted towards personal staff, much of the skills and information shared during the seminar will be helpful to committee staff in their investigations as well.
Location for the seminars will be provided upon RSVP.
To Register simply email idrake@pogo.org and provide your name, title, and contact information or call Ingrid Drake at 202-347-1122
Please spread the word to other Hill staffers.
Click here for resources and summaries of past topics.
What did past participants have to say about the Series?
"Excellent discussion and great guest speakers. Very knowledgeable with good handouts."
"Real life situations and tips very helpful to new investigator."
"I like the fact that this is a series – that you continually remind staff of the need to do oversight. As opposed to one seminar at the beginning of the session which we promptly forget about in the rush of everything else we’ve got to do."
"It was too short."
"Each session gives new ideas as to how oversight can be done – based on the firsthand experiences relayed by the panelist. It helps answer the question: 'Where do we start?'"
There is no cost for participating in COTS. Seminars will generally be held on the 3rd Friday of the month, alternating each month at rooms in the Senate and House office buildings. Lunch will be provided.
Some of the topics to be covered in the series include, "How to Prepare for an Oversight Hearing," "The Art of Writing a Demand Letter," and "Investigating Public and Private Corporations."
Congressional staff members gather tips on oversight,
GovExec.com, December 1, 2006.
Click here for resources and summaries of past topics.
