Category: Federal
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SCOTUS continues in-person arguments in January and February
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) announced on Dec. 6 that it will continue hearing oral arguments in person for its January and February sittings. The court began hearing in-person arguments at the beginning of its 2021-2022 term in October, after hearing arguments via teleconference for the entirety of its 2020-2021 term in…
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Biden ties Clinton in second-most Article III judicial confirmations through Dec. 1 of a president’s first year since 1981
President Joe Biden (D) has appointed and the Senate has confirmed 28 Article III federal judges through Dec. 1 of his first year in office. Since 1901, Biden has made the third-most Article III appointments of any president by this time in office, tied with President Bill Clinton (D). President John F. Kennedy (D) had…
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Congressional resolution would block OSHA COVID-19 vaccine mandate
Companion resolutions, introduced in both houses of Congress under the Congressional Review Act (CRA), aim to block a mandate issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration that directs large employers to require employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19 or to submit to regular testing and face covering. Representative Fred Keller (R-Penn.) sponsored the resolution…
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Monthly tracker: Article III federal judicial nominations by president by days in office since Jan. 2001
Through Dec. 1, 2021, there were 890 authorized federal judicial posts and 78 vacancies. Seventy-four of those vacancies were for Article III judgeships. This report is limited to Article III courts, where appointees are confirmed to lifetime judgeships. In the past month, no new judges have been confirmed. In the past month, 11 new judges…
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SCOTUS begins second week of December argument session
From Dec. 6 to Dec. 8, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) will hear arguments in the final week of the 2021-2022 term’s December sitting. The court is hearing arguments in person and providing audio livestreams of arguments. This week, SCOTUS will hear arguments in five cases. Click the links below to learn…
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Six of 11 wave elections in the U.S. House took place during a president’s first midterm election
The term wave election is frequently used to describe an election cycle in which one party makes significant electoral gains. With the 2022 Congressional elections approaching, the question of what qualifies as a wave election is once again gaining significance. In a 2018 study, we examined the results of the 50 election cycles that occurred…
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Two incumbent Democrats to face each other in U.S. House primary in Georgia
Incumbent Reps. Carolyn Bourdeaux and Lucy McBath each won congressional districts in Georgia previously held by Republicans. McBath (6th District) is running for re-election in the newly drawn 7th District, which pits her against Bourdeaux in the Democratic primary. Daily Kos wrote that Bourdeaux currently represents about 57% of the new 7th District, while McBath…
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Federal Register weekly update: 250 significant documents added so far in 2021
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, accounting for both regulatory and deregulatory actions. From Nov. 29 through Dec. 3, the Federal Register grew by 1,226 pages for a year-to-date…
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In 2015, U.S. Supreme Court ruled independent redistricting commissions created by voter initiative were constitutional
In 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that independent redistricting commissions created by voter initiative were constitutional in Arizona State Legislature v. Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission. State voters established that commission by approving a constitutional amendment in 2000—Proposition 106—to oversee the mapping of Arizona’s congressional and legislative districts. The Court ruled that “redistricting is…