They discuss today's political environment and the state of affairs of the federal government budget.

Join us for an hour of non-partisan discussion on topics of interest:

• the 2012 election results;
• polarization in both houses;
• resistance to compromise;
• leadership changes and musical (committee) chairs;
• the deficit and the debt;
• what's ahead for discretionary spending and entitlement programs;
• the sequester.

As for the last item, Gold says that — although the sequester is scheduled to kick in on March 1 — don't expect to see any effects on the federal government until April, and only then if the issue is not resolved on the political level.

The mission of the Government Affairs Institute is to provide education and training about congressional processes, organization and practices, and about selected legislative policy issues.

By better understanding the functions and organization of Congress, executive branch personnel and others with a direct interest in federal programs can more effectively plan, manage, and budget for those programs, and better represent those programs before Congress.