Remembering CRS legend Judy Schneider
And watch Yuval Levin deal with some riled up C-SPAN viewers
Longtime Congressional Research Service (CRS) specialist Judy Schneider died last week. After the Lord made her he smashed the mold.
How to describe her? She walked with a stomp despite wearing heels. She smoked like a chimney. She was salty and wise. Just watch this video of Judy getting an award for her service—it’s terrific.
She was so much, which is why she had so many friends and admirers. When I posted word of her death on Twitter, the tributes began flowing in from current and former Hill staff who had been schooled by Judy on legislative procedure and how really Congress works.
I worked with Judy during my decade at CRS, and for the first few years I was intimidated and hesitant to speak up. She was regularly consulting with members of Congress and had been there for decades. I was merely a new guy trying to find his way around the Hill. Bu then we had a chat —I think it was about a management kerfuffle— and I dared to share my opinion. She vociferously agreed and offered some background and inside dope that made me all the wiser about the matter.
A few years after I had left CRS, I got a few emails from her. She had seen the work I was doing to goad Congress to reform itself. She told me to keep at it, and to also keep pushing for improvements to CRS. It was a thrill to get those emails, and they expressed her love for the legislative branch and those who work in it and who believe in it.
Justin Papp of Roll Call published a fine article on Judy. RIP, Judy Schneider. Nobody who met you will forget you.
Random Congressional History
I want to thank Sam Mulopulos for reminding about the House Select Committee on the House Beauty Shop. I used to hear jokes about this committee when I was a newbie at CRS. This committee existed for a dozen years (1967 to 1969). The House’s beauty salon was first established in 1932.
There were some issues with the founding proprietress’s management of the salon, and when confronted with the problems she packed up and left the shop—and took a lot of the equipment with her. So the House created a committee to figure out what to do. By 1973 the salon was operating better, reported the General Accounting Office, and in 1977 all was going well enough that Congress could consider winding down the select committee.
Wikipedia has an article about this odd House episode, and, yes, the House still has a beauty salon and, I should add, a barber shop.
Anyone who wants to do a deeper dive on this subject might start with the Library of Congress’ holdings, and then search through old newspaper articles, like this one from the Hill. Another option is work with the office of a member of Congress to get some help from CRS.
Benjamin Wallace-Wells, “John Fetterman’s War,” The New Yorker, June 24, 2024.
“We have a destructive fringe that’s unhelpful,” Fetterman said of his party. “And I’m living that now with Israel.” But his frustrations with the left, he went on, preceded the war. “Years ago, I became more and more appalled at the progressive—whether it’s ‘Abolish ice’ or ‘Defund the police’—all these kinds of bizarre, boutique views. Like, here’s another toy for Republicans to play with!”
Yuval Levin discusses his new book, American Covenant: How the Constitution Unified Our Nation―and Could Again (Basic Books, 2024), on C-SPAN. Along the way he gets some questions that are real doozys.
