Category: Federal
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Trump's ended January with a 42% approval rating, the third consecutive month with this rating
President Donald Trump’s (R) approval ratings in his second term did not change from January, while the 119th Congress’s approval rating improved. At the end of January 2026, polling averages showed Trump’s approval rating was 42%, the same as it was in November and December 2025. Fifty-five percent of voters disapproved of his performance. The…
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Rep. Christian Menefee takes office — ending the vacancy in Texas’ 18th Congressional District
On Feb. 2, 2026, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-La.) swore Rep. Christian Menefee (D-Texas) into the U.S. House of Representatives, filling the vacancy in Texas' 18th Congressional District. The vacancy began on March 5, 2025, after the death of Rep. Sylvester Turner (D-Texas). In a runoff election on Jan. 31, 2026, Menefee defeated…
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Tracker: Article III federal judicial nominations by president by days in office since 2001
There were 41 vacancies out of 890 authorized federal judicial posts as of Jan. 30, 2026. Forty of those were for Article III judgeships. This report is limited to Article III courts, where appointees are confirmed to lifetime judgeships. In the past month: By January 30—378 days in office—President Donald Trump (R) had nominated 39…
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January saw President Donald Trump’s (R) fourth-lowest monthly executive order total thus far in his second term
January saw President Donald Trump’s (R) fourth-lowest monthly executive order total thus far in his second term President Donald Trump (R) issued nine executive orders in January, bringing his total to 234 in his second term. This was the third-lowest monthly total of his second term thus far. Trump issued orders on foreign policy, the…
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JP Morgan Asset Management reduces restrictions on defense investment
JP Morgan Asset Management (JPMAM) lifted defense-related investment exclusions across dozens of its United Kingdom and European funds, according to notices issued to shareholders. The changes allow those funds to invest in a wider range of defense and aerospace companies and apply to 95 Luxembourg-based funds, 29 Ireland-based funds, and five environmental, social, and corporate…
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House passes bill limiting ESG use in retirement plans
On Jan. 15, 2026, the Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives passed the Protecting Prudent Investment of Retirement Savings Act (H.R. 2988) by a 213–205 vote, advancing legislation that would limit when fiduciaries may consider environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors in employer-sponsored retirement plans governed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). Rep. Rick…
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ESG-related policy during the first year of the second Trump administration
During the first year of President Donald Trump’s (R) second administration, federal agencies took a series of actions affecting environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations in financial regulation, labor policy, environmental reporting, and corporate governance. Rather than a single sweeping change, these actions occurred through several mediums including rule withdrawals, enforcement decisions, and shifts in…
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Rep. Vern Buchanan becomes the 49th U.S. House member who is not seeking re-election in 2026
Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.) announced on Jan. 27, 2026, that he will not seek re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2026. In a statement announcing his retirement, Buchanan wrote, “I came to Congress to solve problems, to fight for working families and to help ensure this country remains a place where opportunity is…
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Eleven states take action on federal school choice tax credit program in January
As of Jan. 26, 11 states had taken action this month to indicate participation in the federal school choice tax credit program. Twenty-one states in total have indicated participation in the program. Entities designated under each state's law to make elections on behalf of the state regarding federal tax benefits can decide to opt a…
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Mandatory Medicaid work requirements are coming, what do they look like now?
The 2025 budget reconciliation bill, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), established mandatory work requirements for certain able-bodied Medicaid recipients beginning in 2027. By creating a federal mandate, the OBBBA significantly changed the national landscape of Medicaid work requirements and states must respond by designing and implementing systems to comply, or risk losing federal…