Category: Federal
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Advocacy groups sue SEC over proxy policy shift
On March 19, 2026, two investor advocacy groups filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia seeking to vacate a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) policy that changed how the agency handles shareholder proposals. The lawsuit challenges what the groups called the SEC’s November 2025 No-Objection Policy, which replaced the agency’s…
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Sen. Alan Armstrong becomes the 11th U.S. senator to announce he won’t seek re-election in 2026
Sen. Alan Armstrong (R-Okla.) signed an affidavit on March 24, 2026, stating that he will not run to represent Oklahoma in the U.S. Senate in 2026. On March 24, 2026, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) appointed Armstrong to represent the state in the U.S. Senate. Markwayne Mullin (R) previously held the seat before he resigned…
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Sen. Alan Armstrong takes office — ending the day-long vacancy in Oklahoma’s class II seat
On March 24, 2026, President Pro Tempore Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) swore Sen. Alan Armstrong (R-Okla.) into the U.S. Senate, filling the vacancy in Oklahoma’s class II seat. The vacancy began on March 23, 2026, after Markwayne Mullin (R) resigned from the U.S. Senate to serve as the U.S. secretary of homeland security in President Donald…
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SEC chairman cites shutdown for shareholder proposal review change
On March 9, 2026, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Paul Atkins said that the 2025 federal government shutdown led the SEC to suspend reviews of shareholder proposals due to staffing constraints. Following the shutdown, the SEC said it would stop responding to most no-action requests during the 2025–26 proxy season. The SEC's Rule 14a-8…
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Markwayne Mullin confirmed as secretary of homeland security
The U.S. Senate voted to confirm Markwayne Mullin as secretary of homeland security on March 23, 2026. The Senate voted 54-45 in favor of his nomination, with 52 Republicans and two Democrats, Sens. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), voting in favor. Forty-two Democrats voted against the nomination, along with two independents who caucus…
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Senate takes up SAVE America Act to require voter ID, proof of citizenship for federal elections
On March 17, the U.S. Senate began debate on the SAVE America Act, which would require individuals to provide documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote and voter ID to cast a ballot in federal elections. As of March 24, debate continued in the Senate, and a final vote had not been scheduled. On…
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U.S. Supreme Court to hear oral arguments on legality of Mississippi's absentee ballot return law
The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on March 23 in Watson v. Republican National Committee, a case challenging the legality of a Mississippi law that allows absentee ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted if they are received up to five business days after the election. Mississippi is one of 14 states that…
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Net Zero Asset Managers relaunches with fewer U.S. firms
On Feb. 25, the Net Zero Asset Managers (NZAM) initiative announced its relaunch with 253 signatories after suspending operations for a year. The relaunched coalition includes a revised membership commitment that no longer contains explicit references to aligning portfolios with a goal of reaching net zero emissions by 2050. The new pledge instead allows firms…
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Rep. Darrell Issa becomes the 55th U.S. House member who is not seeking re-election in 2026
Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) announced on March 6, 2026, that he will not seek re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2026. In a statement announcing his retirement, Issa said, “But after a quarter-century in Congress — and before that, a quarter-century in business — it’s the right time for a new chapter and…
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EPA revokes Obama-era ‘endangerment finding’ on greenhouse gas emissions
On Feb. 18, 2026, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a final rule which revokes the agency’s 2009 ‘endangerment finding’ on greenhouse gas emissions. The endangerment finding was an interpretation of the Clean Air Act that found that greenhouse gases could be regulated as pollutants under the Act. President Donald Trump (R) announced the decision…