Category: Federal

  • Federal Register weekly update: 60 new final rules

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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 March 1 through March 5—the seventh week of the Biden administration—the Federal Register grew by 1,302 pages for a year-to-date total of…

  • Early voting begins for Louisiana’s 2nd Congressional District

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    Image of several stickers with the words "I voted"

    Early voting begins March 6 and is open until March 13 for Louisiana’s 2021 elections, including a special election in Louisiana’s 2nd Congressional District. The election takes place on March 20. Fifteen candidates are running to fill the seat left vacant when then President-elect Joe Biden (D) picked Cedric Richmond (D), who represented the district…

  • Ballotpedia’s Weekly Transition Tracker: February 27-March 5, 2021

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    President Joe Biden (D) and his team have been preparing for the transition between presidential administrations since the election, including selecting senior White House staff and appointees to top government positions. In 2020, there were 1,472 government positions subject to presidential appointment: 1,118 positions required Senate confirmation and 354 did not. The new administration is…

  • SCOTUS hears three hours of oral argument during the first week of March

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    The first week of March closed out the U.S. Supreme Court’s February sitting with three hours of oral arguments in seven cases. The court will hear oral arguments again during its March sitting scheduled for March 22 to March 31.  On March 1, the court heard one hour of oral argument in United States v.…

  • Transition Tracker: Harris casts third tie-breaking vote on coronavirus recovery bill

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    President Joe Biden (D) and his team have been preparing for the transition between presidential administrations since the election, including selecting senior White House staff and appointees to top government positions. In 2020, there were 1,472 government positions subject to presidential appointment: 1,118 positions required Senate confirmation and 354 did not. The new administration is…

  • Candidate filing deadline passes in Texas’ 6th Congressional District

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    Candidates interested in running in the special election for Texas’ 6th Congressional District had until March 3, 2021, to file. The general election is scheduled for May 1. The special election was called after Ronald Wright (R) passed away due to complications from COVID-19 on February 7, 2021. Wright served from 2019 to 2021. As…

  • White House withdraws first Cabinet nominee

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    President Joe Biden (D) withdrew the nomination of Neera Tanden for director of the Office of Management and Budget on Tuesday after several senators, including Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.), said they would vote against confirming her. This marks the first failed nomination of Biden’s administration. Biden said in a statement, “I have accepted Neera Tanden’s…

  • Ballot Bulletin: U.S. Census Bureau postpones release of redistricting data

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    Welcome to The Ballot Bulletin, where we track developments in election policy at the federal, state, and local levels. Each issue includes an in-depth feature—such as an interview or legislative analysis—and discussions of recent events relating to electoral and primary systems, redistricting, and voting provisions. U.S. Census Bureau postpones release of redistricting data On Feb. 12,…

  • Biden made no federal judicial appointments through March 1, same as previous administrations

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    President Joe Biden (D) has not yet made any Article III federal judicial appointments through March 1 of his first year in office. This is equal to the number of Article III judicial appointments through this point in all presidencies since President Ronald Reagan (R).  Both the average and median numbers of federal judges appointed…

  • Ballotpedia releases federal judicial vacancy count for March 1

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    Suggested headline: Ballotpedia releases federal judicial vacancy count for March 1 Type: Monthly update In this month’s federal judicial vacancy count, Ballotpedia tracked nominations, confirmations, and vacancies to all United States Article III federal courts from February 1, 2021, to March 1, 2021. Ballotpedia publishes the federal judicial vacancy count at the start of each…