Category: Federal

  • Analyzing demographics of the Pivot Counties with highest, lowest turnout in 2020

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    Two-hundred and six Pivot Counties voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and Donald Trump (R) in 2016. In the 2020 presidential election, 181 Retained Pivot Counties voted for Trump again, and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties voted for Joe Biden (D). Demographically, Retained Pivot Counties tended to be less populous, with an average…

  • Three-hundred and forty-four elected officials at the state and federal levels sought another office in 2020

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    In 2020, Ballotpedia tracked 344 officials in Congress and state legislatures who ran for a different office than the one to which they were elected. Of those 344 officials, 162 (47%) won election to a new position. Fourteen members of the U.S. House and eight members of the U.S. Senate sought election to a different office. Four…

  • Biden revokes Trump executive orders on regulatory practice

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    President Joe Biden (D) on Jan. 20, 2021, signed an executive order revoking six executive orders on agency regulatory practice issued by former President Donald Trump (R). E.O. 13992 revoked the following Trump administration executive orders: Executive Order 13771 (Reducing Regulation and Controlling Regulatory Costs): Established regulatory budgets for federal agencies and required agencies to eliminate two…

  • Federal Register weekly update: One week, two administrations

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    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. From Jan. 18 through Jan. 22, the Federal Register grew by 1,950 pages for a year-to-date total of 6,824 pages. The Biden administration…

  • SCOTUS issues opinion, adds no new cases to merits docket

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    Image of the front of the United States Supreme Court building.

    On January 25, 2021, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) issued one opinion in a case argued during its October 2020-2021 term, the twelfth opinion to date for the term. In the case Henry Schein Inc. v. Archer and White Sales Inc., the court issued a per curiam opinion—a ruling given collectively by…

  • SCOTUS announces oral arguments to be heard via teleconference for February sitting

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    Image of the front of the United States Supreme Court building.

    On January 22, 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court announced that it would conduct oral arguments via teleconference during its February sitting, following the same format that was used during its October, November, December, and January sittings. The court also announced that the oral arguments will be provided to the public via live audio stream. The…

  • Ballotpedia’s 2020 Candidate Connection report: 16.4% of candidates completed surveys this election cycle

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    For the third year in a row, Ballotpedia invited candidates to take part in our Candidate Connection initiative. The survey was open to the 29,002 federal, state, and local candidates that Ballotpedia covered in 2020. Ballotpedia received submissions from 4,745 candidates—or 16.4%—who were running for seats across all 50 states and the District of Columbia.…

  • Senate confirms Lloyd Austin for secretary of defense

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    On January 22, 2021, the Senate confirmed retired Gen. Lloyd Austin to serve as secretary of defense by a vote of 93-2. He will be the first Black secretary to lead the Department of Defense and the second member of President Joe Biden’s (D) Cabinet to be confirmed. Sens. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Mike Lee…

  • Supreme Court hears case about presidential control of independent agencies

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    The Checks and Balances Letter delivers news and information from Ballotpedia’s Administrative State Project, including pivotal actions at the federal and state levels related to the separation of powers, due process and the rule of law. This edition:  In this month’s edition of Checks and Balances, we review U.S. Supreme Court cases concerning Medicaid work…

  • Senate confirms first Biden Cabinet nominee

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    The Senate confirmed Avril Haines as director of national intelligence on January 20, 2021, by a vote of 84-10. Haines previously served as an assistant to the president and principal deputy national security advisor during the Obama administration. Ten Republican senators voted against her confirmation: Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.) Sen. Ted…