Category: Federal

According to a January 29, 2019, report by The Washington Post, Americans received approximately 26.3 billion automated phone calls in 2018, a 46 percent increase over the total number of automated calls received in 2017. The increase can be attributed in part to a federal appellate court ruling that expanded the types of equipment that…

Former U.S. Rep. John Dingell (D) passed away Thursday at the age of 92. Dingell represented a U.S. House seat near Detroit, Michigan, from 1955 to 2014. He was the longest-serving member U.S. House in American history with nearly 60 years in the chamber. Throughout his tenure, he served on the House Energy and Commerce…

The United States Senate Judiciary Committee held a confirmation hearing for Neomi Rao, President Trump’s nominee to serve on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, on February 5, 2019. Trump nominated Rao to the seat, which was vacated by Brett Kavanaugh following his confirmation to the United States Supreme…

The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced the nomination of William Barr to be U.S. attorney general by a vote of 12-10, along party lines. His nomination now heads to the Senate where he will need a simple majority for confirmation. Republicans hold a 53 to 47 majority.   Trump announced his intent to nominate Barr as…

U.S. Rep. Rob Woodall (R) announced Thursday that he would not seek re-election to Georgia’s 7th Congressional District in 2020. In a statement, Woodall referred to the death of his father in 2018, saying, “Doing what you love requires things of you, and having had that family transition made me start to think about those…

President Donald Trump delivered his second State of the Union address on February 5. He called on members of Congress from both parties to work with him “to achieve historic breakthroughs for all Americans. Millions of our fellow citizens are watching us now, gathered in this great chamber, hoping that we will govern not as…

The Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works advanced the nomination of Andrew Wheeler to be Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator by a vote of 11-10, along party lines. His nomination now heads to the Senate where he will need a simple majority for confirmation. Republicans hold a 53 to 47 majority in the U.S.…

On February 4, President Donald Trump (R) announced that he would nominate David Bernhardt to serve as U.S. Secretary of the Interior. Bernhardt became the department’s deputy secretary in 2017, and he has served as acting secretary since Ryan Zinke (R) resigned the position on January 2, 2019.   Trump tweeted, “I am pleased to…

In January 2019, the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) reviewed 17 significant regulatory actions issued by federal agencies. The agency approved the intent of 13 rules while recommending changes to their content. OIRA approved one other rule without changes. Agencies withdrew three rules from the review process.   OIRA reviewed 20…

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.   During the week of January 28 to February 1, the number of pages in the Federal Register increased by 936 pages, bringing…