PowerPoint – America Decided – America’s Divided – MAIN TAKEAWAYS “Voters wanted more competent but also more moderate leadership: Trump lost for failing to manage COVID competently & excessive chaos / division • House Democrats lost where voters feared overly-aggressive Progressivism Our nation remains narrowly & deeply divided: • Senate & House nearly tied, key… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: Congress
Bills, Resolutions, Nominations,and Treaties: Characteristics and Examples of Use
CRS report via LC: Bills, Resolutions, Nominations,and Treaties: Characteristics and Examples of Use – November 16, 2020. “In each chamber of Congress, four forms of legislative measures may be introduced (or, in the case of resolutions, submitted) and acted on: bills, joint resolutions, concurrent resolutions, and resolutions of one house (“simple resolutions”). In addition, under… Continue Reading
Visualizing How Voting has Changed Between the 2016 and 2020 U.S. Presidential Elections
Center for Data Innovation: “Reuters has created a series of visualizations that show how county-level votes (where at least 95 percent of expected votes have been counted) have changed between the 2016 U.S. presidential election and the 2020 U.S. presidential election. One visualization shows that counties with large numbers of Hispanic voters, which have historically… Continue Reading
Presidential Transition Act: Provisions and Funding
CRS report via LC – Presidential Transition Act: Provisions and Funding, November 13, 2020: “The Presidential Transition Act of 1963 (PTA) authorizes funding for the General Services Administration (GSA) to provide suitable office space, staff compensation, and other services associated with the presidential transition process (3 U.S.C. §102 note). The act has since been amended… Continue Reading
The machinery of American democracy is working
The New York Times – “This article is part of Democracy by Mail, a series following the absentee-ballot process from printing to mailing to counting: “…But for the most part, mail-in balloting — and balloting at the polls, too — went smoothly and revealed two competing truths: The machinery of American democracy is working, its… Continue Reading
Vacancies, acting officials and the waning role of the U.S. Senate
Brookings – “With the recent passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and ensuing speculation over whether Republican senators will confirm the president’s nominee before the 2020 election, the role of the U.S. Senate has taken center stage. Such an imbroglio leaves the impression that the Senate plays a pivotal role in the appointments process, and… Continue Reading
Obama’s Memoir – I’m Not Yet Ready to Abandon the Possibility of America
The Atlantic – I’m Not Yet Ready to Abandon the Possibility of America – Story by Barack Obama – “I wrote my book for young people—as an invitation to bring about, through hard work, determination, and a big dose of imagination, an America that finally aligns with all that is best in us.” The Atlantic… Continue Reading
The November 3rd election was the most secure in American history
Statement by the DHS Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) – the Nation’s risk advisor: “The members of Election Infrastructure Government Coordinating Council (GCC) Executive Committee – Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Assistant Director Bob Kolasky, U.S. Election Assistance Commission Chair Benjamin Hovland, National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) President Maggie Toulouse Oliver,… Continue Reading
Biden-Harris agency review teams
Biden-Harris Transition: “Agency review teams are responsible for understanding the operations of each agency, ensuring a smooth transfer of power, and preparing for President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris and their cabinet to hit the ground running on Day One. These teams are composed of highly experienced and talented professionals with deep backgrounds in crucial… Continue Reading
Growing Discomfort at Law Firms Representing Trump in Election Lawsuits
The New York Times via MSN – “There was Big Tobacco. There was the Bin Laden family. There was even the hated owner of the Cleveland Browns football team as he moved the franchise to Baltimore. Now Jones Day is the most prominent firm representing President Trump and the Republican Party as they prepare to… Continue Reading
Biden may have trouble unearthing Trump’s national security secrets
Politico: “From tearing up documents and hiding transcripts of calls with foreign leaders to using encrypted messaging apps and personal email accounts for government business, the Trump White House’s skirting of records preservation rules could limit the incoming Biden administration’s visibility into highly sensitive foreign policy and national security secrets….The Presidential Records Act, which requires… Continue Reading
Refusing to concede, Trump blocks cooperation on transition
AP: “The Trump administration threw the presidential transition into tumult on Monday, Attorney General William Barr authorizing the Justice Department to probe allegations of voter fraud and President Donald Trump firing the Pentagon chief and blocking government officials from cooperating with President-elect Joe Biden’s team. Despite little evidence of fraud, Barr signed off on investigations… Continue Reading
