Category: Federal
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House committee issues more subpoenas related to ESG practices
The House Judiciary Committee issued more subpoenas last week in its ongoing investigation into whether some finance companies may have violated antitrust laws through their ESG investing practices. The subpoenas include requests for information from the heads of BlackRock and State Street, specifically. Ballotpedia tracks support for and opposition to the environmental, social, and corporate…
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Forty members of Congress have announced they will not seek re-election in 2024—more than at this point in previous cycles
Between Nov. 15 and Dec. 18, eight U.S. House members announced they will not seek re-election in 2024. The eight House members include six Democrats and two Republicans. Including the announcements above, 40 members of Congress—seven U.S. Senators and 33 House members—have announced they will not seek re-election in 2024. Thirty-six members of Congress had…
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Proposed labor rule defining requirements for investment advisers receives more than 8,900 comments
The Biden administration on November 3 released a proposed rule aiming to expand the definition of a fiduciary—someone who must act in the best interests of their clients—to include more types of financial professionals in certain situations. The proposal had received more than 8,900 public comments as of December 15. The rule is related to…
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Federal Register weekly update: 586 pages added (2023)
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, accounting for both regulatory and deregulatory actions. From Dec. 11, 2023, through Dec. 15, 2023, the Federal Register grew by 1,512 pages for…
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Tracker: Article III federal judicial nominations by president by days in office since 2001
As of December 13, 2023, there were 64 vacancies in the 890 authorized federal judicial posts. Sixty-three of those vacancies were for Article III judgeships. This report is limited to Article III courts, where appointees are confirmed to lifetime judgeships. From November 13 through December 13, 2023: By December 13, 2023—1,058 days in office—President Joe…
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Federal Register weekly update: Tops 85,000 pages
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, accounting for both regulatory and deregulatory actions. From Dec. 4, 2023, through Dec. 8, 2023, the Federal Register grew by 1,750 pages for…
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New York Supreme Court could hear case opposing ESG investment by NYC pension plans
Four New York City employees, with the help of nonprofit legal organization Americans for Fair Treatment, filed a lawsuit in May opposing New York City pension plans’ environmental investment considerations. The court, according to E&E News, could be the first to hear a legal claim against investment managers who consider ESG. Ballotpedia tracks support for…
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Ballotpedia releases federal judicial vacancy count for December 2023
In this month’s federal judicial vacancy count, Ballotpedia tracked nominations, confirmations, and vacancies from November 2 through December 1, 2023. Ballotpedia publishes the federal judicial vacancy count at the start of each month. HIGHLIGHTS New vacancies There were 63 vacancies out of 870 active Article III judicial positions, a total vacancy percentage of 7.2, which…
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Biden has successfully appointed 159 federal judges through December 1 of his third year
President Joe Biden (D) has appointed and the Senate has confirmed 159 Article III federal judges through December 1, 2023, his third year in office. The Senate had confirmed 164 of President Donald Trump’s (R) appointees at this point in his term. The average number of federal judges appointed by previous presidents through December 1…
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Kamala Harris (D) breaks record for most tie-breaking Senate votes in United States history
Vice President Kamala Harris (D) cast her 32nd and 33rd tie-breaking votes in the Senate on Dec. 5, 2023, giving her the most tie-breaking votes in the U.S. Senate of all vice presidents in U.S. history. Her 32nd and 33rd votes were to invoke cloture on and subsequently approve the nomination of Loren L. AliKhan…