The Good Congress Podcast – Dr. Matt Glassman

In this episode of The Good Congress Podcast, Brad Fitch speaks with Dr. Matt Glassman, Senior Fellow at Georgetown University’s Government Affairs Institute and former Congressional Research Service analyst, about the institutional offices that support the U.S. Congress.

Dr. Glassman explains how the Congressional Research Service (CRS), Government Accountability Office (GAO), and Congressional Budget Office (CBO) operate, why they matter, and how Congress relies on them for nonpartisan analysis, oversight, and budget scoring. Drawing on firsthand experience, he discusses the real-world constraints these offices face, including budget pressures, modernization challenges, and political misunderstanding.

This conversation offers a clear look at how Congress builds expertise, conducts oversight of the executive branch, and why institutional capacity is essential to a functioning legislature.

Topics include:
• What CRS, GAO, and CBO actually do
• How Congress uses nonpartisan analysis
• Oversight, appropriations, and budget scoring
• Leadership and transparency inside Congress
• Practical ideas for strengthening congressional capacity

A must-watch for congressional staff, government professionals, journalists, and anyone interested in how Congress really works.