Category: Federal
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Ballotpedia releases federal judicial vacancy count for December
In this month’s federal judicial vacancy count, Ballotpedia tracked nominations, confirmations, and vacancies to all United States Article III federal courts from December 1, 2020, to December 31, 2020. Ballotpedia publishes the federal judicial vacancy count at the start of each month. HIGHLIGHTS Vacancies: There have been no new judicial vacancies since the November 2020…
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Nancy Pelosi elected speaker of the House for 117th Congress
Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) was elected speaker of the House on Sunday with 216 votes. Five Democratic representatives did not vote for her: Jared Golden (D-Maine), Conor Lamb (D-Pa.), Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), and Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.). Golden voted for Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), and Lamb voted for Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.). Sherrill,…
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Federal Register weekly update: 2020 year-to-date total of 84,198 pages
The Federal Register is a daily journal of federal government activity that includes presidential documents, proposed and final rules, and public notices. It is a common measure of an administration’s regulatory activity. From December 21 to December 25, the Federal Register grew by 1,328 pages for a year-to-date total of 84,198 pages. Over the same…
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President Trump signs Consolidated Appropriations Act, approves second round of direct payments
President Donald Trump (R) signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act into law December 27, approving a $900 billion legislative package that included a second round of direct stimulus payments in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The act, which was introduced as a series of amendments to the United States-Mexico Economic Partnership Act, passed both chambers of…
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U.S. Senate confirms Court of Federal Claims nominee
On December 19, 2020, the U.S. Senate confirmed Thompson Michael Dietz to the United States Court of Federal Claims by a vote of 51–36. He was nominated to the court by President Donald Trump (R) on July 2, 2020, and will join the court upon receiving his judicial commission and taking his judicial oath. Dietz…
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Trump announces 15 pardons, five commutations
On Dec. 22, President Donald Trump (R) issued 15 pardons and five commutations. Those pardoned included former Trump campaign aide George Papadopoulos and former congressmen Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.), Chris Collins (R-N.Y.), and Steve Stockman (R-Texas). President Trump has issued 43 pardons and 21 commutations while in office. Of those, Trump issued 28 pardons and 15…
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U.S. Senate confirms nominee to U.S. District Court for Central District of California
The U.S. Senate confirmed Fernando Aenlle-Rocha to the United States District Court for the Central District of California by a vote of 80-8. After he receives his federal judicial commission and takes his judicial oath, the 28-member court will have nine Democrat-appointed judges, 13 Republican-appointed judges, and six vacancies. Aenlle-Rocha will join three other judges…
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SCOTUS accepts cases concerning federal antitrust laws, NCAA compensation rules
On December 16, 2020, the Supreme Court of the United States granted review in the consolidated cases National Collegiate Athletic Association (“NCAA”) v. Alston and American Athletic Conference v. Alston for a total of one hour of oral argument during its 2020-2021 October Term. The cases originated from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the…
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Biden announces picks for heads of Interior, Energy, and EPA
On Dec. 17, President-elect Joe Biden announced his picks for secretaries of energy and the interior, and administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. These announcements leave five remaining Cabinet-level positions in the Biden administration without announced nominees. Biden nominated former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D) as Secretary of Energy. She served as governor from 2003…