In Custodia Legis – LC: “We just passed the two year anniversary of when THOMAS was retired to make way for Congress.gov. Robert recently shared our second set of enhancements that we had for Congress.gov in June. One area where we have focused is on enhancing committee data. With this release we are adding a legislative interest column… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: Congress
Trump administration seeks to roll back Endangered Species Act
“The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries) jointly propose revisions to regulations that implement portions of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). In 2017, we sought public input on how the Federal government can improve upon the regulatory framework. We received substantial input… Continue Reading
Can a President Amend Regulations by Executive Order?
Can a President Amend Regulations by Executive Order?, CRS Legal Sidebar, July 18, 2018. “An executive order signed by President Trump on July 10, 2018, raises the question of whether a President—with the stroke of a pen—can amend federal rules codified in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). In Executive Order 13843, the President changed the… Continue Reading
Citizens Against Government Waste Releases 2018 Pig Book Detailing Government Waste
“The Congressional Pig Book is CAGW’s annual compilation of the pork-barrel projects in the federal budget. A “pork” project is a line-item in an appropriations bill that designates tax dollars for a specific purpose in circumvention of established budgetary procedures. To qualify as pork, a project must meet one of seven criteria that were developed… Continue Reading
Hearing – Facebook, Google and Twitter: Examining the Content Filtering Practice
“House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) today delivered the following statement during the House Judiciary Committee’s hearing on “Facebook, Google, and Twitter: Examining the Content Filtering Practices of Social Media Giants.” …Today, we continue to examine how social media companies filter content on their platforms. At our last hearing, which we held April, this… Continue Reading
Government Reorganization: Key Questions to Assess Agency Reform Efforts
Government Reorganization: Key Questions to Assess Agency Reform Efforts GAO-18-427: Published: Jun 13, 2018. Publicly Released: Jul 13, 2018. “A March 2017 executive order requiring executive branch agency reorganization is intended to improve efficiency and effectiveness. If it works, it could save billions of dollars—but similar reform efforts in the past have not always come… Continue Reading
Inside Facebook, Twitter and Google’s AI battle over your social lives
CNET: “When you sign up for Facebook on your phone, the app isn’t just giving you the latest updates and photos from your friends and family. In the background, it’s utilizing the phone’s gyroscope to detect subtle movements that come from breathing. It’s measuring how quickly you tap on the screen, and even looking at… Continue Reading
The Congressional Review Act: Determining Which “Rules” Must Be Submitted to Congress
The Congressional Review Act: Determining Which “Rules” Must Be Submitted to Congress – July 5, 2018 R45248 “The Congressional Review Act (CRA) allows Congress to review certain types of federal agency actions that fall under the statutory category of “rules.” The CRA requires that agencies report their rules to Congress and provides special procedures under… Continue Reading
CRS – President Trump Nominates Judge Brett Kavanaugh: Initial Observations
CRS Legal Sidebar – President Trump Nominates Judge Brett Kavanaugh: Initial Observations, Andrew Nolan, Section Research Manager. July 10, 2018. “On July 9, 2019, President Trump announced the nomination of Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (D.C. Circuit) to fill the impending vacancy on the… Continue Reading
How Kavanaugh compares to other SCOTUS nominations close to elections
Axios: “How Kavanaugh compares to other SCOTUS nominations close to elections. President Trump’s nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to fill the seat of Justice Anthony Kennedy comes just 120 days before the 2018 midterm election. The big picture: There have been five other cases since 1950 when seats have opened within 150 days of a midterm… Continue Reading
AP – Trump lawyers call Comey ‘Machiavellian’ in note to Mueller
WASHINGTON (AP) — “Lawyers for President Donald Trump unleashed a blistering attack on former FBI Director James Comey in a confidential memo last year to the special counsel, casting him as “Machiavellian,” dishonest and “unbounded by law and regulation” as they sought to undermine the credibility of a law enforcement leader they see as a… Continue Reading
Lawmakers support union lawsuits against executive orders
FCW.com: “A group of four current and former lawmakers are supporting federal unions’ lawsuits against the trio of executive orders aimed at making it easier to fire federal employee and restricting union activity. The lawmakers — current Reps. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) and Peter King (R-N.Y.) and former Reps. William Clay (D-Mo.) and Jim Leach (R-Iowa) — filed… Continue Reading
