The discovery of the deadly poison ricin in a Senate office building is a reminder of how little lawmakers have done to ensure continuity of government in the event of an attack.

Thomas Reed was an important, if often forgotten, speaker of the House.

The tension between Congress and the president is palpable, and nowhere is that more true than in the controversy over recess appointments.

Democratic Rep. Brian Baird has announced that he will not seek another term. We can only hope that Baird's work with the Continuity of Government Commission does not fade away.

Neither the framers nor subsequent political leaders had built in to the constitutional framework any plans to reconstitute Congress in the event of a catastrophe like 9/11. I called for Congressional leaders to at least create a commission to study the problem and potential solutions.

The visceral reaction against the need for a constitutional amendment to deal effectively and legitimately with the continuity of Congress is deep and is not just held by Republican leaders.

John Boehner and Eric Cantor want to see Congress approve or disapprove major agency resolutions. Democrats will offer a grab bag of excuses for why this should not be done.

A recentthreat toWashington, D.C., illustrated that the government is uncertain on the proper actions to take if there is a terrorist attack.