Equipping Conservatives

This course is designed to focus on a singular question: what does a conservative foreign policy look like? Attendees will pursue this concept within the context of a rising China, threats in the Middle East, and a militarily stagnant Europe. Discussion will also cover the main actors shaping the country’s foreign policy intellectually and in practice, and walk away with a framework to process critical questions regarding America’s changing role in the world.

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The Department of Defense is the largest federal agency with 1.3 million active duty soldiers, 700,000 civilian personnel, and 1.1 million citizens who serve in the National Guard and Reserve Forces. This course is designed to provide attendees with an overview of how the DOD is organized, how it sets budget priorities, and ultimately how Congress authorizes and appropriates its funding. Over three sessions, the course material will cover the DOD's structure, the agency’s budget priorities, and close by covering the National Defense Authorization and defense appropriations.

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“Energy independence” has been a platform issue for decades – but the mechanics of how it actually works are less well understood. Instructed by Kenny Stein, the Vice President of Policy at the Institute for Energy Research, this course is designed to unpack the practical aspects of American energy policy. Course material will cover regulations and policy as it relates to electricity generation, mining and fracking, energy markets, and how federal energy policy interacts with environmental policy.

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CPI’s federal budget course is designed to give attendees a practitioner's view of how federal budgeting works at the congressional and executive level. Course material covers the House and Senate budget process, including the unique features of how the budget reconciliation process is handled in each chamber and how budgeting interacts with the appropriations process. Finally, attendees will get an overview of how the executive branch manages federal spending through the Office of Management and Budget.

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The Fundamentals of Appropriations course outlines the architecture and mechanisms of federal spending. Over the course of three sessions, attendees will receive a historical overview of the federal appropriations process at the executive and congressional level, specifically: House and Senate appropriations process, the appropriations interaction with the 302(a) and 302(b) allocations set in the federal budget, the President’s budget, and how the Office of Management and Budget are involved with the congressional appropriations process. Attendees are encouraged, but not required, to also take our Federal Budget Policy & Process course.

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What is conservative border security policy? What's the right amount of legal immigration? How can illegal immigration be disincentivized and prohibited? Fundamentals of Immigration Policy is designed to bring awareness to all of these concepts. The course material will cover the basics of federal asylum law, border security, interior enforcement, family-based immigration, and provide a robust discussion of conservative policy solutions.

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Health care policy can be complicated and a seemingly unending labyrinth of copays and premiums, but you as a congressional staffer, you might need to know how it works for your job. Come learn the layman's version of our complicated healthcare system. This course will cover insurance markets, Medicaid and Medicare, delivery system reform, and more.

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Instructed by veteran House staffers, this course covers the basics of House procedure. Sessions cover the history and function of the House Rules Committee, the role of staff and Members on the House floor, an overview of germaneness, and the various procedural motions offered to the minority. This course is perfect for a new House staffer, policy organization staffer, or a veteran looking for a refresher.

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The ability to engage in clear, organized, and responsive writing is a foundational skill in succeeding on Capitol Hill. Through reviewing examples and engaging in writing practicums, this course is designed to impart the technical skills of good policy writing. Attendees will gain practical insights into good writing from Michael Connolly, a veteran Capitol Hill speechwriter, as well as the opportunity to practice and hone the craft of congressional writing. This course is highly recommended for entry level positions.

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This course is designed to bring new Senate staffers up to speed and remind veterans of the tools and strategies they have at their disposal. Senate Procedure and Strategy 101 will cover the basic mechanics of the Senate floor, including the interaction between regular order and unanimous consent, cloture, moving to proceed, and the fundamentals of the Senate’s amendment tree and appropriations process. Each session ends with a practicum where attendees are encouraged to apply their skills in context. This a “must take” class for any Senate staffer and a prerequisite for Senate Procedure & Strategy 201, our advanced Senate procedure course.

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This advanced Senate procedure class builds on the offerings of Senate Procedure & Strategy 101 with more advanced concepts governing the Senate’s appropriations process, Senate committees, conference rules, Rule 22 germaneness, the amendment tree, and several case studies of complex floor scenarios. The last session is a Senate floor practicum with attendees applying strategy in various roles and contexts in the majority and the minority. This course is specifically designed to hone the skills taught in Senate Procedure & Strategy 101 and help attendees learn to apply floor tactics in multiple dynamic scenarios. Attendees must have taken Senate Procedure & Strategy 101 to register, or be waived in after consultation with the instructors.

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