Author: Jace Lington

Senate Democrats plan to use the Congressional Review Act (CRA) this fall to reverse a guidance document that gave states more flexibility when applying for waivers from Obamacare requirements. The plan was included in a letter written by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D.-N.Y.) outlining fall priorities for the Democratic Party, according to Politico on…

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) published a final rule on September 5 that withdraws rules made during the Obama administration that apply higher energy-efficiency requirements to some specialty lightbulbs. The department also published a separate proposed rule saying that current energy-efficiency standards do not need to change. This means that certain types of lightbulbs—rough…

On August 26, U.S. Solicitor General Noel Francisco asked the U.S. Supreme Court to allow the Trump administration to enforce a new asylum rule while a challenge to the rule is working its way through the court system.   What happened?   The solicitor general asked the U.S. Supreme Court to grant a stay of…

On August 27, 2019, President Trump nominated lawyer Eugene Scalia to replace Alexander Acosta as secretary of labor.   Who is he?   Scalia is the son of late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia and handled Labor Department litigation and gave legal advice on rulemakings and administrative law during George W. Bush’s presidency.  …

On August 21, President Trump issued a presidential memorandum directing the Departments of Education (DOE) and Veterans Affairs (VA) to simplify the process disabled veterans must follow to have their student loans forgiven.   Under the Higher Education Act, veterans who have total and permanent disabilities because of their military service qualify for federal student…

On August 16, a panel of judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled that a federal district court went too far when it granted a nationwide injunction against a new federal immigration rule.   What happened?   The Ninth Circuit upheld the injunction, which blocks enforcement of a rule, within…

On August 12, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced a final rule that changes how the federal government screens immigrants who might become dependent on government services. According to the 837-page rule, agencies may deny immigrants a visa or a green card if they have used food…

On August 8, the Administrative Conference of the United States (ACUS), an independent federal agency charged with improving administrative procedures, published four recommendations in the Federal Register. Two of those recommendations involved agency guidance, which refers to documents created by government agencies to explain, interpret, or advise interested parties about rules, laws, and procedures.  …

On July 31, U.S. Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) introduced a resolution under the Congressional Review Act (CRA) that would repeal a guidance document that gave states more flexibility when applying for waivers from Obamacare requirements. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the U.S. Department…

On July 26, 2019, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled to allow the Pentagon to use military funds to build a wall along the southern border of the United States. The ruling said that groups objecting to the use of money for the border wall had not shown that they have the right to challenge the…