Category: Federal

  • Biden issued two executive orders in May on sanctions and coronavirus vaccine requirements

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    President Joe Biden (D) issued two executive orders in May, bringing his total number to 115. The two orders he issued in May were: Executive Order on Moving Beyond COVID-⁠19 Vaccination Requirements for Federal Workers (May 9, 2023) Executive Order on Imposing Sanctions on Certain Persons Destabilizing Sudan and Undermining the Goal of a Democratic…

  • Three special elections called so far in the 118th Congress

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    U.S. Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I., 1st) resigned from Congress on June 1 to become president of the Rhode Island Foundation, a nonprofit organization based in Providence. A special election to replace him is scheduled for Nov. 7, 2023. The special election to replace Cicilline is one of three scheduled so far during the 118th Congress.…

  • OIRA reviewed 35 significant rules in May

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    In May 2023, the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) reviewed 35 significant regulatory actions issued by federal agencies. OIRA approved one rule with no changes and approved the intent of 30 rules while recommending changes to their content. Two rules were withdrawn from the review process by the issuing agency. Two…

  • U.S. weekly unemployment insurance claims rise to 229,000

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    New applications for U.S. unemployment insurance benefits rose 4,000 for the week ending May 20 to a seasonally adjusted 229,000. The previous week’s figure was revised down by 17,000 to 225,000. The four-week moving average as of May 20 was unchanged from the previous week’s unrevised number at 231,750. The number of continuing unemployment insurance…

  • Biden vetoes congressional resolution that sought to nullify D.C. policing law

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    On May 25, 2023, President Joe Biden (D) vetoed H.J.Res.42 – Disapproving the action of the District of Columbia Council in approving the Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Amendment Act of 2022. This was the fourth veto of his presidency. H.J.Res.42 was a joint resolution of disapproval under the terms of the District of Columbia Self-Government…

  • Supreme Court limits EPA’s regulatory authority over wetlands

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    The U.S. Supreme Court on May 25, 2023, unanimously held in Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that the EPA’s regulatory jurisdiction over the nation’s wetlands is limited. The decision echoes the court’s 2022 ruling in West Virginia v EPA, in which the justices limited the scope of the agency’s authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions.…

  • Federal Register weekly update: 575 documents added

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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, accounting for both regulatory and deregulatory actions. From May 22, 2023, through May 26, 2023, the Federal Register grew by 1,790 pages for…

  • Trump leads 2024 Republican presidential primary polling and PredictIt market

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    As of May 23, 2023, former President Donald Trump (R) leads in both RealClearPolitics’ (RCP) Republican presidential primary polling average and PredictIt’s Republican presidential primary market. Trump’s polling average currently stands at 56%, followed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) at 19%. No other candidate has more than a 10% polling average. In PredictIt’s Republican…

  • 40 candidates filed for federal and statewide offices last week

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    40 people declared candidacies for federal or statewide offices in the past week, two fewer than last week. All of these candidates declared before their state’s official filing deadline. Twenty-two of those candidates were Democratic, while 18 were Republican. Twenty-eight candidates are running for Congress, four for governorship, and eight for a lower state executive…

  • District court finds Affordable Care Act preventative healthcare provision unconstitutional

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    The United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas on March 30, 2023, issued a ruling in Braidwood Management v. Becerra striking down a provision of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that requires private health insurance plans to cover preventative healthcare services without patient cost-sharing.  Braidwood Management sued the U.S. Department of Health…