Category: Federal
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Supreme Court releases opinion on water dispute between Texas and New Mexico
The Supreme Court of the United States issued an opinion in Texas v. New Mexico, which was argued on October 5, 2020. The case is part of the court’s original jurisdiction, meaning it was the first and only court to hear the case. Texas v. New Mexico concerned an interstate water dispute. In 1949, the…
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13 percent of open congressional seats changed party hands in 2020
Forty congressional incumbents—four in the Senate and 36 in the House—did not run for re-election in 2020. Of these 40 open seats, five (12.5 percent) changed party hands as a result of the 2020 elections. All five changes occurred in the House, where Democrats picked up three open seats previously held by Republicans and Republicans…
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New federal agency policies aim to minimize redundant regulations and increase rulemaking transparency
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on November 24 issued guidance that establishes rulemaking policies aimed at minimizing redundant regulations and increasing transparency in agency rulemaking. The first policy aims to minimize redundancies in HHS rulemaking by requiring the agency to ensure that new rules are consistent with, and do not overlap with,…
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What happens when the Electoral College votes on Dec. 14?
The Electoral College is the process by which the states and District of Columbia elect the president of the United States. Each state is represented by a number of electors equal to the size of its congressional delegation. There are 538 electors in total. To win the Electoral College, a candidate must receive a majority—at…
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A closer look at voter turnout in Retained and Boomerang Pivot counties
Ballotpedia has been analyzing the 206 Pivot Counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and Donald Trump (R) in 2016. This year, we have introduced two new categories: Retained Pivot Counties, which voted for Trump again in 2020, and Boomerang Pivot Counties, which voted for Joe Biden (D). Based on unofficial…
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U.S. Senate confirms three to Federal Election Commission
The new commissioners are Shana Broussard (D), Allen Dickerson (R), and Sean Cooksey (R). They join current commissioners James “Trey” Trainor (R), Steven T. Walther (I), and Ellen L. Weintraub (D). Trainor chairs the commission, and Walther is vice chair. Broussard previously served as counsel to now fellow commissioner Walther, while Dickerson was the legal…
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U.S. Supreme Court hears oral argument in case about presidential control of independent agencies
On December 9, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral argument in Collins v. Mnuchin, a case about the extent of the president’s appointment and removal powers and control of independent federal agencies. The U.S. Supreme Court will decide whether restrictions Congress placed on the ability of the president to remove the director of the Federal…
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Elections in New York’s 22nd and Iowa’s 2nd set to have narrower margins of victory than any 2018 Congressional race
As of December 9, the results of two U.S. House elections remain uncertain. The election in New York’s 22nd Congressional District is too close to call amid an ongoing legal challenge surrounding partial recounts. In Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District, Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R) was certified as the winner by state election officials as winning by a…
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Two nominees confirmed to federal judgeships
The week of November 30, 2020, two federal judicial nominees were confirmed to Article I judgeships by the U.S. Senate. They will join their respective courts upon receiving their judicial commission and taking their judicial oaths. U.S. Court of Federal Claims On December 2, 2020, Kathryn Davis was confirmed to the court by the U.S.…
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U.S. Supreme Court agrees to hear case challenging HHS approval of state work requirements for Medicaid beneficiaries
On December 4, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear a case involving agency approval of work requirements for state Medicaid beneficiaries. In Azar v. Gresham, the court will decide whether the Medicaid statute empowers the secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to approve state plans to use work requirements…