Category: Federal

  • Largest presidential primary debate in U.S. history takes place Tuesday, dates set for 2020 general election debates

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    Twelve Democratic presidential candidates will meet on stage Tuesday in the fourth primary debate of the 2020 election cycle:   • Joe Biden • Cory Booker • Pete Buttigieg • Julián Castro • Tulsi Gabbard • Kamala Harris • Amy Klobuchar • Beto O’Rourke • Bernie Sanders • Tom Steyer • Elizabeth Warren • Andrew…

  • McAleenan leaving as Homeland Security secretary

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    On October 11, President Donald Trump announced that Kevin McAleenan was leaving as acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). McAleenan is the seventh person to serve as DHS secretary.   Trump tweeted, “Kevin McAleenan has done an outstanding job as Acting Secretary of Homeland Security. We have worked well together with Border…

  • Commission on Presidential Debates announces 2020 general election debate schedule

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    The Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) announced the dates of three presidential debates and one vice presidential debate for the 2020 general election. The CPD has sponsored every presidential and vice presidential general election debate since 1988.   Presidential debates are scheduled for the following dates in 2020: September 29 at the University of Notre…

  • Rep. Lowey (N.Y.) becomes sixth Democratic U.S. House member to announce 2020 retirement

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    Rep. Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.) announced yesterday that she would not run for re-election in 2020. She was first elected to Congress in 1988 and represents New York’s 17th District.  Lowey received 88% of the vote over a Reform Party candidate in winning re-election in 2018. She ran unopposed in both the Democratic primary and general…

  • Federal agencies allowed to implement Trump’s civil service executive orders

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    Federal agencies can fully implement President Donald Trump’s (R) three civil service executive orders after the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on Wednesday lifted an injunction that had blocked the implementation of provisions concerning the use of union official time.   President Trump issued the civil service executive orders…

  • D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals upholds net neutrality repeal while striking down preemption of state and local regulations

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    In an opinion delivered on October 1, 2019, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit upheld the FCC’s 2018 net neutrality repeal but struck down the agency’s preemption of state and local net neutrality regulations. The court also directed the agency to consider how the repeal would affect public safety,…

  • 12 Democrats expected to qualify for record-breaking October presidential debate

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    Tuesday was the final day for candidates to qualify for the fourth Democratic presidential primary debate on Oct. 15, 2019. They needed to reach the polling threshold of 2 percent support or more in four national or early state polls and the fundraising threshold of 130,000 unique contributors.   Twelve candidates were expected to make…

  • Group of 17 states brings administrative law challenge against new Endangered Species Act rules

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    On September 25, a group of 17 states, Washington, D.C., and New York City, joined together to sue the Trump administration in an effort to block three new rules that changed how federal agencies enforce the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The lawsuit argues that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service…

  • Fifth Circuit pauses SEC action while it resolves appointment power question

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    On September 24, a panel of judges on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ordered the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to delay enforcement proceedings against an accountant until after the court resolves a pending legal challenge. The accountant, Michelle Cochran, argues that since the president cannot fire the SEC Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) that…

  • DNC announces fourth presidential primary debate in October will be held on single day, 12 candidates expected to qualify

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    The Democratic National Committee announced Friday that the October presidential primary debate will take place on one day, rather than two days as was expected. It will be held in Westerville, Ohio, with CNN and The New York Times as hosts. Erin Burnett, Anderson Cooper, and Marc Lacey will moderate the debate.   Tulsi Gabbard…