Category: Federal
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Senate Republicans invoke nuclear option to change nomination rules
On September 11, 2025, Senate Republicans voted to change chamber rules governing the nomination process for certain types of presidential nominees. The vote was 53-45, along party lines. This procedure, where a majority party changes a Senate rule or precedent through a simple majority vote, is often referred to as the nuclear option or constitutional…
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Department of Labor announces ESG retirement plan rule
The Department of Labor (DOL) announced Sept. 4 that it plans to issue a new rule governing the use of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors in retirement plans covered by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). The department’s Employee Benefits Security Administration listed the issue in its semi-annual regulatory agenda as…
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Ballotpedia has tracked each major party’s number of U.S. House seats won in relation to U.S. House national vote share gained from 1980 to 2024 (Brew)
As states implement or consider new congressional district boundaries ahead of the 2026 elections, debates over how votes translate into control of U.S. House seats are in the spotlight. Our review of more than 40 years of data shows that the share of all House votes a party receives across the country does not always…
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Ballotpedia releases federal judicial vacancy count for September 2025
In this month’s federal judicial vacancy count, Ballotpedia tracked nominations, confirmations, and vacancies from Aug. 2 through Sept. 1, 2025. Ballotpedia publishes the federal judicial vacancy count at the start of each month. HIGHLIGHTS New vacancies There were 50 vacancies out of 870 active Article III judicial positions, a total vacancy percentage of 5.7, which…
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President Donald Trump (R) has appointed five federal judges through Sept. 1 of his first year of his second term
President Donald Trump (R) has appointed and the Senate has confirmed five Article III federal judges through September 1, 2025, his first year of his second term in office. This is the fewest Article III judicial appointments through this point in all presidents’ second terms since Bill Clinton (D). The average number of federal judges…
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Net Zero Banking Alliance to suspend operations
On Aug. 27, the Net Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA) announced that it is suspending operations, as a number of large banks have exited the group over the last several months. NZBA has said its remaining members will vote to determine whether it should remain a member-based group or transition to an organization that provides guidance…
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Tracker: Article III federal judicial nominations by president by days in office since 2001
There were 890 authorized federal judicial posts and 49 vacancies as of Aug. 29, 2025. Forty-eight 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: By Aug. 29, 2025—222 days in office—President Donald Trump (R) had nominated…
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President Donald Trump (R) ends August with 44% approval, same as July
At the end of August, approval polling averages showed President Donald Trump (R) at 44% approval. Fifty-three percent of voters disapproved of his performance. This is the lowest approval rating he’s received during his presidency. He first received this approval rating in April. The highest approval rating Trump has received is 54%, last seen on…
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President Donald Trump (R) issued 17 executive orders in August, two more than he issued last month
President Donald Trump (R) issued 17 executive orders in August, bringing his total to 198 in his second term. To view the titles and text of each order he issued in August, click here. Trump issued two more orders this month than he did in July, when he issued 15 executive orders. Trump issued 46…
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Almost 200 candidates have already filed to run in the 2028 presidential election
As of Aug. 25, 2025, a total of 175 candidates had filed with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to run in the 2028 presidential election. Of these candidates, 39 were Democrats, 44 were Republicans, and the other 92 were independent or minor party candidates. Over the course of a presidential election cycle, hundreds of individuals…