Category: Federal

  • Trump has not officially appointed any federal judges in his second term

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    President Donald Trump (R) has not nominated any Article III federal judges through May 1, 2025, his first year of his second term in office. The average number of federal judges appointed by previous presidents through May 1 of their first year in office is 0.1. Since Ronald Reagan (R), only one president (Trump, during…

  • Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D) announces she will not seek re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2026

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    Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) announced on May 5, 2025, that she will not seek re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2026. On her retirement, Schakowsky said in a statement, “For my entire career, I have made it my mission to mentor and guide the next generation of leaders. In fact, when I talk…

  • Trump directs agencies to skip public input to speed certain deregulations

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    What’s the story? President Donald Trump (R) issued a memorandum on April 9 directing federal administrative agencies to revoke facially unlawful regulations without the 30 to 60-day public notice and comment period the Administrative Procedure Act of 1946 (APA) normally requires before agencies adopt, change, or revoke a rule. The memorandum prioritizes regulations that have been deemed…

  • Rep. Gerald Connolly announces he will not seek re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2026

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    Rep. Gerald Connolly (D-Va.) announced on April 28, 2025, that he will not seek re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2026. On his retirement, Connolly—who previously announced in November 2024 that he was diagnosed with esophageal cancer—wrote, “After grueling treatments, we’ve learned that the cancer, while initially beaten back, has now returned. ……

  • USDA SNAP work requirements press release states: Those who can work, should

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    The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) published a press release and a memorandum on April 17 that provided guidelines from Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins stating that able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWDs) should have to work to receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. The memorandum covers three areas related to SNAP Agency administration of…

  • Trump issues executive order opposing state ESG policies

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    President Donald Trump (R) issued an executive order last week directing U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate and block enforcement of state laws promoting ESG policies. Trump argued such laws conflict with national security and economic interests. The order lays the groundwork for federal legal challenges against state ESG laws. It reverses the dynamic…

  • Nine members of Congress have announced they will not seek re-election in 2026

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    Since our March 19 update on congressional retirements, three members of the U.S. House of Representatives—one Democrat and two Republicans—have announced they will not seek re-election in 2026. Those representatives include: Additionally, Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) announced his candidacy for Colorado governor on April 10. Since Bennet is not up for re-election until 2028, he…

  • Two candidates are running for the U.S. Senate in New Hampshire in 2026

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    Voters in New Hampshire will elect one member to the U.S. Senate in the general election on Nov. 3, 2026. Incumbent Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), who first assumed office in 2009, announced that she would not seek re-election in 2026. According to Inside Elections’ Jacob Rubashkin, “While New Hampshire was already on the Senate battleground,…

  • U.S. House votes to adopt Senate-amended budget resolution

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    On April 10, the House of Representatives voted to adopt the Senate-amended version of budget resolution HCon.Res.14, completing the budget resolution process. The House voted 216-214 in favor of the resolution, with 216 Republicans voting in favor and Reps. Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.) and Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) joining 212 Democrats in voting against the resolution. The…