D.C. Happenings January 03, 2019 Divided Congress Poses Obstacles Washington tends to work best when one party controls both Congress and the White House. It’s most gridlocked, usually, when control of Congress is split. Combined with the government shut down, these are interesting times in Washington, D.C. Learn more. ‘Drug Czar’ To Combat Opioid Epidemic In the final hours of a lame-duck Congress, lawmakers confirmed the Trump administration’s nominee for a “drug czar,” following nearly two years in which this post sat vacant. James Carroll has led the Office of National Drug Control Policy in an acting capacity since February. Read more. Disaster Recovery Reform Act Transforms Field of Emergency Management Last fall, President Donald Trump signed the Disaster Recovery Reform Act of 2018 (DRRA) into law. The reforms offered in this bill acknowledge the shared responsibility of disaster response and recovery, aim to reduce the complexity of FEMA and build the nation’s capacity for the next catastrophic event. Learn more.