Category: Federal

The Senate Judiciary Committee announced that it will hold a confirmation hearing for William Barr’s nomination to be United States Attorney General on January 15 and 16. President Donald Trump (R) announced his intent to nominate Barr to the position on December 7, 2018, and formally sent his nomination to the Senate on January 3,…

The U.S. Senate voted yesterday to confirm Democrat Geoffrey Starks as a commissioner on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Under federal law, only three FCC commissioners can be from the same political party, so President Trump nominated Starks based on recommendations from Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.). The FCC is an independent federal agency formed in…

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 measure of an administration’s regulatory activity.   During the week of January 1 to January 4, the number of pages in the _Federal Register_ increased by 34 pages. A total…

In 2018, the Trump administration added a total of 68,082 pages to the _Federal Register_, a daily journal of federal government activity which includes presidential documents, proposed and final rules, and public notices. It is a common measure of an administration’s regulatory execution. The page total will likely decrease after the National Archives processes the…

Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) was elected speaker of the House with 220 votes. Fifteen Democrats did not vote for her. Eight of those who voted against Pelosi were among the 16 Democrats that signed a letter opposing her candidacy on November 19, 2018.   Pelosi previously served as speaker of the House from 2007-2011. She…

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) announced Monday that she had formed a presidential exploratory committee, joining former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julian Castro (D) in taking the first steps towards a possible presidential run.   Warren has brought on several experienced staffers to her Iowa team from the Clinton, Obama, and Sanders campaigns:…

In December 2018, the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) reviewed 31 significant regulatory actions issued by federal agencies. The agency approved the intent of 26 rules while recommending changes to their content. OIRA approved three other rules without changes. Agencies withdrew two rules from the review process.   The 31 significant…

The 116th Congress will convene on January 3, 2019, and will conclude on January 3, 2021. The House is scheduled to meet for 130 days in 2019, and the Senate is scheduled to meet for 168 days.   In 2018, the House had 171 legislative days, and the Senate had 186 days.   From 2001…

The Federal Register is a daily journal of federal government activity which includes presidential documents, proposed and final rules, and public notices. It is a common measure of an administration’s regulatory execution.   During the week of December 24 to December 28, the number of pages in the Federal Register increased by 1,600 pages, bringing…

Democratic donor Steve Phillips announced the formation of the Dream United super PAC to support a possible presidential run by U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) Thursday. Phillips said he already had $4 million lined up to support Booker and expected to raise $10 million over the coming months. Phillips backed former President Barack Obama’s 2008…