Jim Townsend
banner
jim-townsend.bsky.social
Jim Townsend
@jim-townsend.bsky.social
Jim Townsend, an attorney, former congressional staffer and state legislator, is Director of ‪@levincenter.bsky.social‬
Reposted by Jim Townsend
Our framers assumed Congress would conduct investigations like the House of Commons where  members were considered “grand inquisitors of the realm.” When the U.S. House convened in 1789, it established a legislative process that included investigations. Thanks to @ushousehistory.bsky.social!
February 13, 2026 at 2:02 PM
Reposted by Jim Townsend
Georgetown Law & Levin Center Scholar Dave Rapallo's new piece notes that AG Bondi’s #EpsteinFiles redactions violate federal law & House Oversight Committee's subpoena that compel their production. Congress must insist on the transparency required by law.

news.bloomberglaw.com/legal-exchan...
Congress Must Push Bondi to Release the Remaining Epstein Files
Opinion: Members of Congress need to reject Attorney General Pam Bondi's assertions of privilege and insist that she reverse her decision to withhold 200,000 pages of files related to the Jeffrey Epst...
news.bloomberglaw.com
February 10, 2026 at 6:51 PM
Reposted by Jim Townsend
Check out Dr. Claire Leavitt's new piece on The Conversation US! Dr. Leavitt was our 2025 Excellence in Oversight Research award winner.

theconversation.com/congress-has...
Congress has exercised minimal oversight over ICE, but that might change
Congress has handed ICE a blank check, dramatically increasing its funding without exercising oversight.
theconversation.com
February 6, 2026 at 2:04 PM
Reposted by Jim Townsend
📘New from Brookings Press: The Folkways of Congress examines changing congressional norms—and what that means for U.S. democracy. Includes a chapter by the late Elise Bean, “Norms in Congressional Oversight Investigations: Problem Solving vs. Partisan Messaging.”
The Folkways of Congress | Brookings
PRINT BOOK
www.brookings.edu
February 5, 2026 at 2:30 PM
Reposted by Jim Townsend
What is oversight? Check out the new content from our civic ed team, Learning by Hearings!

youtu.be/JvggpPECnFM
What is Oversight?
YouTube video by Levin Center for Oversight and Democracy
youtu.be
February 4, 2026 at 3:24 PM
Reposted by Jim Townsend
And so it begins…

The first congress of the United States, representing 12/13 colonies (- Georgia) convened in Philadelphia on Sept. 5th in 1774 and met for 6 weeks. It tried to negotiate a relationship with Great Britain that acknowledged the rights of colonists.
#Congress250 #America250 #USA250
January 16, 2026 at 2:01 PM
Reposted by Jim Townsend
"Congress needs to fight harder than it has so far to defend this independent voice that brings to light facts that Congress and the American people need to know," following Trump's firing of more than a dozen, argues Levin Center director @jim-townsend.bsky.social.

thehill.com/opinion/cong...
thehill.com
November 5, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Reposted by Jim Townsend
Thanks to all who helped us celebrate our 10th anniversary!

@slotkin.senate.gov @waynelawschool.bsky.social e
September 22, 2025 at 6:53 PM
Reposted by Jim Townsend
Thanks to all who helped us celebrate our 10th anniversary!

@slotkin.senate.gov @waynelawschool.bsky.social
September 22, 2025 at 6:57 PM
Reposted by Jim Townsend
Levin Center’s Congressional Oversight Records Database (CORD) has expanded its collection by adding oversight reports from the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources! This addition brings the collection to 1,400 oversight reports.

www.cord-levin-center.org
CORD :: Home
www.cord-levin-center.org
July 2, 2025 at 2:12 PM
Reposted by Jim Townsend
This Fourth of July, while celebrating American independence, we must also confront threats to our democratic system and recommit to protecting checks and balances in government.

Read the latest on our blog!

levin-center.org/checks-and-b...
Checks and Balances Under Fire This Independence Day • Levin Center for Oversight and Democracy
This Fourth of July, while celebrating American independence, we must also confront threats to our democratic system and recommit to protecting checks and balances in government.
levin-center.org
July 1, 2025 at 2:27 PM
Reposted by Jim Townsend
“Denying members of Congress access to facilities is a direct assault on our system of checks and balances. What [they] are trying to do now is to be part of a proud bipartisan tradition of...oversight by showing up," @jim-townsend.bsky.social told @latimes.com.

www.latimes.com/politics/sto...
ICE issued new rules for Congress members visiting detention centers. Experts say they’re illegal
Members from California, Illinois and New Jersey have been denied access in recent weeks to immigrant detention facilities in their states. Oversight experts say that's a substantial departure from pa...
www.latimes.com
June 20, 2025 at 1:17 PM
Reposted by Jim Townsend
"Denying members of Congress access to facilities is a direct assault on our system of checks and balances," said @levincenter.bsky.social director @jim-townsend.bsky.social.

www.latintimes.com/dozens-dems-...
Dozens Of Dems Urge Lawmakers to Visit ICE Facilities Regularly Amid Reports of Abuse
A new House resolution led by Rep. Frederica Wilson calls on Members of Congress to regularly visit ICE detention facilities
www.latintimes.com
June 30, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Reposted by Jim Townsend
Director @jim-townsend.bsky.social joins POGO, AEI, R Street Institute, Partnership for Public Service, AGI, Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, & POPVOX Foundation in calling on Congress to restore funding to important congressional services, including GAO and CRS.

www.rstreet.org/outreach/org...
Orgs Oppose Effort to Slash Essential Congressional Resources - R Street Institute
June 25, 2025   Hon. Tom Cole, Chairman Hon. Rosa DeLauro, Ranking Member  House Appropriations Committee House Appropriations Committee  H-307 The Capitol 1036 Longworth HOB  Washington DC 20515 Wash...
www.rstreet.org
June 30, 2025 at 2:20 PM
Statement by the Carl Levin Center for Oversight and Democacy of the Public Violence that Occurred in Minnesota on June 14, 2025

levin-center.org/wp-content/u...
June 17, 2025 at 5:11 PM
Looking forward to joining former Congressman Dave Trott on the radio at 10:35 am this morning to talk about the mission and work of the Levin Center!
June 16, 2025 at 1:27 PM