White House lawyers prep staff for dealing with a Democratic Congress [View all]

Source: Washington Post

The White House Counsel’s Office is giving private briefings to the administration’s political appointees on how to best prepare for congressional oversight as staff begin to brace for the likelihood of significant Democratic victories in the November midterm elections, according to two people briefed on the topic.

The roughly 30-minute briefings have included a PowerPoint presentation about how congressional oversight works and best practices for handling it, according to the two people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. Staff from the counsel’s office have encouraged political appointees to be careful about what they put in writing and provided guidance for how to respond to congressional inquiries in a timely manner, the people said.

“It’s obvious to everyone that it’s very likely,” said one of the two officials, who attended a private briefing, referring to the possibility of Republicans losing at least one chamber come November. “It was a sober-eyed conversation.”

A White House official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations, said the counsel’s office “has provided guidance to relevant stakeholders to ensure oversight compliance and that best practices are followed since January 2025.”

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