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News
Levin Center Statement on the Passing of Eugene Driker
With the death of Eugene Driker, the Levin Center for Oversight and Democracy has lost a wise, steady, and committed
Read our Latest Op-Ed in The Hill
How to ensure that Biden’s great American road trip leads to a better future by Jim Townsend During his recent
Fall 2022 Newsletter Released
Curious what the Levin Center got up to in the last few months? Read our fall 2022 newsletter to find
New Portrait in Oversight and Podcast Episode on Abramoff Lobbying Scandal
Today, the Levin Center for Oversight and Democracy and the McCain Institute, in collaboration with the U.S. Capitol Historical Society,
Recent Events
July 21, 2022: Pursuing Factual Consensus: The Role of Congress
Virtual panel discussion
Watch our fascinating discussion with former Senators Bill Cohen, Norm Coleman, and Claire McCaskill on how congressional committees work toward factual consensus in oversight investigations.
For our democratic system to work, our leaders, institutions (both public and private), and citizens need to value facts and truthfulness. In recent years, however, we have witnessed mass disagreements over what is true and how to separate fact from fiction. We’ve also learned the consequences can be deadly. The Levin Center is sponsoring a three-part series of panels to delve more deeply into how facts become established in the public mind and how truthfulness might be restored to our public discourse.
Our second panel featured three former senators with years of oversight expertise. They discussed the unique role played by Congress in resolving factual issues confronting the country, how committees conduct factual investigations, how committee members attempt to reach consensus on the facts, what happens when they can’t reach consensus, and how investigative hearings and reports affect public perceptions of what is true. They also provide interesting commentary on factfinding by the House committee examining the January 6th attack on the Capitol.
