Category: Federal

  • Federal Register weekly update: Highest weekly page total of 2020

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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 December 28 to December 31, the Federal Register grew by 3,154 pages for a year-to-date total of 87,352 pages. Over the same…

  • OIRA reviewed 90 significant rules in December

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    The White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) reviewed a total of 90 significant regulatory actions issued by federal agencies in December 2020. The agency approved five rules without changes and approved the intent of 82 rules while recommending changes to their content. Agencies withdrew two rules from the review process. One rule…

  • Ballotpedia releases federal judicial vacancy count for December

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    In this month’s federal judicial vacancy count, Ballotpedia tracked nominations, confirmations, and vacancies to all United States Article III federal courts from December 1, 2020, to December 31, 2020. Ballotpedia publishes the federal judicial vacancy count at the start of each month. HIGHLIGHTS Vacancies: There have been no new judicial vacancies since the November 2020…

  • Nancy Pelosi elected speaker of the House for 117th Congress

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    Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) was elected speaker of the House on Sunday with 216 votes. Five Democratic representatives did not vote for her: Jared Golden (D-Maine), Conor Lamb (D-Pa.), Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), and Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.). Golden voted for Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), and Lamb voted for Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.). Sherrill,…

  • Federal Register weekly update: 2020 year-to-date total of 84,198 pages

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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 December 21 to December 25, the Federal Register grew by 1,328 pages for a year-to-date total of 84,198 pages. Over the same…

  • President Trump signs Consolidated Appropriations Act, approves second round of direct payments

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    President Donald Trump (R) signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act into law December 27, approving a $900 billion legislative package that included a second round of direct stimulus payments in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The act, which was introduced as a series of amendments to the United States-Mexico Economic Partnership Act, passed both chambers of…

  • Ballotpedia’s Weekly Transition Tracker December 24-30, 2020

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    Prior to taking office on January 20, 2021, President-elect Joe Biden (D) and his team must prepare for the transition between presidential administrations, including selecting senior White House staff and appointees to top government positions. In 2016, there were 1,714 government positions subject to presidential appointment: 1,242 positions required Senate confirmation and 472 did not.…

  • U.S. Senate confirms Court of Federal Claims nominee

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    On December 19, 2020, the U.S. Senate confirmed Thompson Michael Dietz to the United States Court of Federal Claims by a vote of 51–36. He was nominated to the court by President Donald Trump (R) on July 2, 2020, and will join the court upon receiving his judicial commission and taking his judicial oath. Dietz…

  • Trump announces 15 pardons, five commutations

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    On Dec. 22, President Donald Trump (R) issued 15 pardons and five commutations. Those pardoned included former Trump campaign aide George Papadopoulos and former congressmen Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.), Chris Collins (R-N.Y.), and Steve Stockman (R-Texas). President Trump has issued 43 pardons and 21 commutations while in office. Of those, Trump issued 28 pardons and 15…

  • U.S. Senate confirms nominee to U.S. District Court for Central District of California

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    The U.S. Senate confirmed Fernando Aenlle-Rocha to the United States District Court for the Central District of California by a vote of 80-8. After he receives his federal judicial commission and takes his judicial oath, the 28-member court will have nine Democrat-appointed judges, 13 Republican-appointed judges, and six vacancies. Aenlle-Rocha will join three other judges…