Congress

On February 11, 2026, Olesya Vartanyan, a first-year PhD student at George Mason's Carter School and conflict analyst with more than 15 years of field experience in the South Caucasus, took part in a congressional briefing on the political situation in Georgia. The event was hosted by the U.S. Helsinki Commission, a bipartisan body bringing together members of both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Priyanka Anand’s study on Social Security Disability Insurance overpayments provided influential evidence on inefficiencies of social safety net programs and workforce participation.

A new study coauthored by PhD candidate Julianna J. Thomson analyzes religious rhetoric in a setting where it can be wildly effective—on the floor of Congress. See what the research shows about “Sacred Speech.”

George Mason University’s most popular student is also a nontraditional one: U.S. Congressman Don Beyer.

Seven-term U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly visited the Schar School’s Democracy Lab. Here’s what the students learned.