Category: Federal
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President Biden has appointed 213 federal judges through October 1 of his fourth year
President Joe Biden (D) has appointed and the Senate has confirmed 213 Article III federal judges through October 1, 2024, his fourth year in office. This is the second-most Article III judicial appointments through this point in all presidencies since President Ronald Reagan (R). The average number of federal judges appointed by previous presidents through…
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New federal SNAP work requirements take effect: age exemption rises to 54
On October 1, 2024, the final phase of the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA) will take effect, raising the age limit for exemptions from certain Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) work requirements. Individuals will now age out of the able-bodied adult without dependents (ABAWD) work requirements at age 54, instead of 52. This means that able-bodied…
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Joe Biden ends Sept. with highest presidential approval rating since Sept. 2023
At the end of Sept., approval polling averages showed President Joe Biden (D) at 42% approval. Fifty-five percent of voters disapproved of his performance. This was the highest approval rating Biden has received since Sept. 2023. Throughout Sept., Biden’s approval rating ranged from 41% to 42%. The lowest approval rating he’s received during his presidency…
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U.S. House passes two bills opposing ESG
The House of Representatives passed two bills opposing ESG on Sept. 18 and Sept. 19. HR 5339 would require fiduciaries to make investment decisions based on financial factors. HR 4790 proposed limiting the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) climate risk disclosure requirements. Ballotpedia tracks support for and opposition to the environmental, social, and corporate governance…
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Tracker: Article III federal judicial nominations by president by days in office since 2001
There were 44 vacancies out of 890 authorized federal judicial posts as of September 18, 2024. All 44 of those were for Article III judgeships. This report is limited to Article III courts, where appointees are confirmed to lifetime judgeships. From August 1 to September 18, 2024: By September 18, 2024—1,338 days in office—President Joe…
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Air Force cites Loper Bright in refusal of EPA order
What’s the story? The U.S. Air Force announced in July it would not comply with an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) order to clean polluted drinking water in Tucson, Arizona. The Air Force argued federal regulators did not have the authority to issue the order, citing Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo—the June 2024 SCOTUS case overturning…
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For a fourth straight month, the number of members of Congress who have announced retirement so far this year is 53
Fifty-three members of Congress—eight senators and 45 representatives—have announced they will not seek re-election this year. That’s the same number that was reported in our August 21 update on congressional incumbents not seeking re-election. Since then, there have been no new retirement announcements. The last incumbent to announce their retirement was Rep. Garret Graves (R-La.)…
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Continuing unemployment insurance claims up 35% from a 54-year low in June 2022; FED focuses on job market ahead of Sept. 18 interest rate decision
New applications for U.S. unemployment insurance benefits rose 2,000 for the week ending Sept. 7 to a seasonally adjusted 230,000. The four-week moving average as of Sept. 7 increased by 500 from the previous week’s revised average to 230,750. The number of continuing unemployment insurance claims, which refers to the number of unemployed workers who…
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Ballotpedia releases federal judicial vacancy count for September 1, 2024
In this month’s federal judicial vacancy count, Ballotpedia tracked nominations, confirmations, and vacancies from August 2, 2024, to September 1, 2024. Ballotpedia publishes the federal judicial vacancy count at the start of each month. HIGHLIGHTS New vacancies There were 48 vacancies out of 870 active Article III judicial positions, a total vacancy percentage of 5.5,…
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Biden has appointed 205 federal judges through September 1 of his fourth year
President Joe Biden (D) has appointed and the U.S. Senate has confirmed 205 Article III federal judges through September 1, 2024, his fourth year in office. This is the most Article III judicial appointments through this point in all presidencies since President Ronald Reagan (R). The Senate had confirmed 203 of President Donald Trump’s (R)…