Category: Federal
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In five elections since 1920, the winning presidential candidate’s party has lost seats in the U.S. House
On Dec. 14, 2020, the Electoral College cast votes for president and vice president of the United States. Joe Biden (D) won 306 electoral votes, defeating President Donald Trump (R) who won 232. In the same 2020 election cycle, Biden’s Democratic party lost 13 U.S. House seats (one race remains uncalled). How many times has…
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Federal Register weekly update: Highest final rule count since October
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 14 to December 18, the Federal Register grew by 2,290 pages for a year-to-date total of 82,870 pages. Over the same…
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New bill would require GAO to send Congress a report on major midnight regulations
On December 14, Representative Gerald Connolly (D-Va.) introduced the Midnight Regulations Review Act in the U.S. House of Representatives. The bill would require the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to send Congress a report about major regulations made by outgoing presidents just before the transition to a new administration. The bill defines major rules as those…
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Office of Personnel Management continues implementation of Trump’s civil service executive orders
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) on December 17 issued a proposed rule aimed at continuing the implementation of President Donald Trump’s (R) 2018 civil service executive orders. The proposed rule prioritizes federal employee performance over length of service in decisions concerning a reduction in force—a principle set forth in Executive Order 13839, “Promoting Accountability and Streamlining Removal…
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Biden wins all six Reverse-Pivot Counties that voted McCain-Romney-Clinton
Following the 2016 presidential election, Ballotpedia identified six Reverse-Pivot Counties that voted for Hillary Clinton (D) in 2016 after voting for John McCain (R) in 2008 and Mitt Romney (R) in 2012. All six of 2016’s Reverse-Pivot Counties voted for Biden in 2020. These counties have a median population of 785,915. Voters there cast 4,015,613…
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Supreme Court releases opinion on water dispute between Texas and New Mexico
The Supreme Court of the United States issued an opinion in Texas v. New Mexico, which was argued on October 5, 2020. The case is part of the court’s original jurisdiction, meaning it was the first and only court to hear the case. Original jurisdiction cases are rare. According to the Federal Judicial Center, since…
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U.S. Rep. Mitchell leaves Republican Party
U.S. Rep. Paul Mitchell (R-Mich.) announced on Dec. 14 that he was leaving the Republican Party and changing his affiliation to independent. Mitchell cited differences with the Republican Party leadership for his departure from the party. As a result of leaving the party, Mitchell’s positions on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Armed Services…
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SCOTUS issues ruling in case concerning Delaware’s method of judicial selection
On December 11, 2020, the Supreme Court of the United States issued a unanimous ruling in the case Carney v. Adams. The case originated from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit and concerned judicial selection in Delaware. The case was argued during the court’s October Term for 2020-2021 on October 5, 2020.…