Category: Federal

  • Rep. Vern Buchanan becomes the 49th U.S. House member who is not seeking re-election in 2026

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    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…

  • Eleven states take action on federal school choice tax credit program in January

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    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…

  • Mandatory Medicaid work requirements are coming, what do they look like now?

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    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…

  • Rep. Julia Letlow becomes the 15th U.S. House member to run for the U.S. Senate in 2026

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    Rep. Julia Letlow (R-La.) announced on Jan. 20, 2026, that she will run to represent Louisiana in the U.S. Senate in 2026 rather than for another term in the U.S. House of Representatives. Incumbent Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) is also running in the Republican primary. As of Jan. 20, 2026, independent race forecasters The Cook…

  • First year of Trump's second term by the numbers

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    Image of the south facade of the White House.

    One year ago today, Donald Trump (R) assumed office as the 47th president of the United States, making him one of only two presidents in U.S. history to serve two non-consecutive terms. Here’s a closer look at the first year of his second administration, by the numbers. Executive actions: During the first year of his…

  • House passes three-year extension of expanded ACA subsidies

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    On Jan. 8, 2026, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to extend enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies, also known as the expanded premium tax credit (ePTC), for three years. Seventeen Republicans joined Democrats to pass the measure 230–196. The legislation would revive the ePTC, which expired on December 31, 2025. Supporters said the vote…

  • How states provide oversight of federal grants

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    Federal grants make up a significant share of state budgets, and states use a wide range of statutory frameworks to review, approve, and manage these funds. These frameworks determine which actors—governors, legislatures, agencies, auditors, or the public—play a role in evaluating grant applications, accepting federal dollars, and regulating how entities administer those funds. Collectively, these…

  • Here's what the new U.S. Postal Service rule on postmarks means for absentee/mail-in voting

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    On Dec. 24, a new U.S. Postal Service (USPS) rule took effect, stating that mail is not necessarily postmarked on the day it is posted — implicating official documents that require postmarks, including tax returns, court documents, bill payments, and, in some states, absentee/mail-in ballots received after Election Day.  USPS officials have said the rule…

  • An overview of the rules, agency documents, and notices published in the Federal Register in the last quarter of 2025

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    The federal government added 14,353 pages to the Federal Register in the last quarter of 2025, spanning from Oct. 1 to Dec. 31, for an annual total of 61,584 pages. According to the publication, that's the lowest annual page count of the Federal Register since 1992. The highest annual page count hit 95,894 in 2016.…