In Custodia Legis – “Last month, Robert publicized the addition of historic materials to Congress.gov, including the bound Congressional Record going back to 1951 and the Statutes at Large back to 1973. This month, we are very happy to be introducing a citation tool for Congress.gov users. Over the years, many of our patrons have… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: Congress
Afghanistan: Background and U.S. Policy: In Brief
CRS – Afghanistan: Background and U.S. Policy:In Brief Updated March 25, 2021: “Afghanistan emerged as a significant U.S. foreign policy concern in 2001, when the United States, in response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, led a military campaign against Al Qaeda and the Afghan Taliban government that harbored and supported it. In… Continue Reading
U.S. Case Law Research
Library of Congress video with transcript: “This webinar provides an overview of U.S. case law research, including information about the U.S. federal court system, the publication of court opinions, methods for researching case law, and information about locating records and briefs.” Continue Reading
Two Memos With Enormous Constitutional Consequences
The Atlantic – “What’s astonishing is that presidential criminal immunity has no grounding in actual law. It’s not in the Constitution or any federal statute, regulation, or judicial decision. It is not law at all.” “One conclusion is apparent following Donald Trump’s four years in office: A sitting president is perhaps the only American who… Continue Reading
What’s Breaking Through? Congressional Reactions, Prioritization, and Digital Amplification
Precision: Ever wonder whether bipartisan agreement is gone forever? Or, whether it’s possible for progressives, conservatives, and those in the middle to find common ground on critical issues? Us too. That’s why we’re diving deep to look at what’s breaking through among three core groups of Senators and Representatives that carry weight across both chambers… Continue Reading
Report – Biden staffing makes history
Axios: “President Biden put his Cabinet in place faster than any other administration since President Reagan, the White House Office of Presidential Personnel says in a report provided first to Axios. By the numbers: Biden has announced his intent to nominate 233 people for Senate-confirmed jobs — more nominees than any past administration at the… Continue Reading
Tax Evasion at the Top of the Income Distribution – Theory and Evidence
NBER Paper – “This paper studies tax evasion at the top of the U.S. income distribution using IRS micro-data from (i) random audits, (ii) targeted enforcement activities, and (iii) operational audits. Drawing on this unique combination of data, we demonstrate empirically that random audits underestimate tax evasion at the top of the income distribution. Specifically,… Continue Reading
Apportionment and Redistricting Following the 2020 Census
CRS Insight – Apportionment and Redistricting Following the 2020 Census, April 27, 2021: “…The Clerk of the House sends each governor a certificate indicating a state’s number of Representatives within 15 calendar days of receiving the President’s apportionment message. Each state receives the number of Representatives noted in the President’s statement, beginning at the start… Continue Reading
Qui Tam: The False Claims Act and Related Federal Statutes
CRS Report – Qui Tam: An Abridged Look at the FalseClaims Act and Related Federal Statutes, Updated April 26, 2021: “Qui tam statutes enlist the public to sue to recover civil penalties and forfeitures from those who have defrauded the government. Qui tam rewards those who sue in the government’s name (called relators) with a… Continue Reading
Why lawmakers are so interested in Apple’s and Google’s “rents”
Ars Technica: You can’t understand the app store debate without some grasp of antitrust jargon. [Note: Primary reference is Senate Judiciary Committee, Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights, hearing held April 21, 2021] “In economics, the concept of rent refers to money that a business makes in excess of what it would get… Continue Reading
Investigation and prosecution of Capitol Attack will likely be one of the largest in American history
Case 1:21-cr-00303-ABJ Filed 04/22/21 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA UNITED STATES OF AMERICA vs MICHAEL JOSEPH RUSYN, Defendant “…The investigation and prosecution of the Capitol Attack will likely be one of the largest in American history, both in terms of the number of defendants prosecuted and the nature and volume of… Continue Reading
Climate Change Risk Disclosures and the Securities and Exchange Commission
CRS report – Climate Change Risk Disclosures and the Securities and Exchange Commission, April 20 2021: “Potential risks to the U.S. financial system from climate change have attracted growing attention in government, academia, and media, raising questions about the roles of financial regulators in addressing such risks. Scientific assessments have concluded that human activities—and particularly… Continue Reading
