Category «Congress»

Comprehensive Plan for Reforming the Federal Government and Reducing the Federal Civilian Workforce

Executive Office of the President, Office of Management and Budget, Memorandum for Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies – April 12, 2017. M-17-22, Comprehensive Plan for Reforming the Federal Government and Reducing the Federal Civilian Workforce. “This memorandum provides agencies guidance on fulfilling the requirements of the Hiring Freeze PM and the Reorganization EO while …

Subjects: Congress, Economy, Financial System, Government Documents, Legislation

Government Watchdog to Conduct Review of Trump Transition Process

News release: “The U.S. Government Accountability Office  has initiated an investigation of conflicts of interest and other problems affecting President Trump’s transition. The review was requested in November 2016 by U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Representative Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.  The Members of …

Subjects: Congress, Government Documents, Legal Research

Introduction to the Legislative Process in the U.S. Congress

CRS – Introduction to the Legislative Process in the U.S. Congress, Valerie Heitshusen, Specialist on Congress and the Legislative Process. April 7, 2017. [via FAS] This report introduces the main steps through which a bill (or other item of business) may travel in the legislative process—from introduction to committee and floor consideration to possible presidential …

Subjects: Congress, Knowledge Management, Legal Research, Legislation

Armed Conflict in Syria: Overview and U.S. Response

CRS – Armed Conflict in Syria: Overview and U.S. Response. Carla E. Humud, Coordinator Analyst in Middle Eastern Affairs; Christopher M. Blanchard, Specialist in Middle Eastern Affairs; Mary Beth D. Nikitin, Specialist in Nonproliferation April 7, 2017. “A deadly chemical weapons attack in Syria on April 4, 2017, and a U.S. military strike in response …

Subjects: Congress, Defense, Government Documents, Legal Research

CRS – Filibusters and Cloture in the Senate

Filibusters and Cloture in the Senate, Valerie Heitshusen, Specialist on Congress and the Legislative Process; Richard S. Beth, Specialist on Congress and the Legislative Process. April 7, 2017 [via FAS]: “The filibuster is widely viewed as one of the Senate’s most characteristic procedural features. Filibustering includes any use of dilatory or obstructive tactics to block …

Subjects: Congress, Government Documents, Legal Research, Legislation

U.S. Climate Change Regulation and Litigation: Selected Legal Issues

CRS Report – U.S. Climate Change Regulation and Litigation: Selected Legal Issues, Linda Tsang, Legislative Attorney. April 3, 2017 [via FAS] : “On March 28, 2017, President Trump signed an executive order to encourage and promote energy development by modifying climate change policies. As the Trump Administration implements its environmental policies, various legal challenges to …

Subjects: Climate Change, Congress, Courts, Environmental Law, Government Documents, Legal Research, Legislation

Pew – wider partisan and ideological gap between younger, older generations

Pew Research Center: “The generation gap in American politics is dividing two younger age groups, Millennials and Generation X, from the two older groups, Baby Boomers and the Silent Generation. In 2016, as in recent years, Millennials and Gen Xers were the most Democratic generations. And both groups had relatively large – and growing – …

Subjects: Congress, Defense, Economy, Financial System

2017 Cook Political Report Partisan Voter Index

“The Cook Political Report is pleased to introduce the 20th anniversary edition of the Partisan Voter Index (PVI) for all 50 states and 435 Congressional districts in the country, compiled especially for the Report by POLIDATA®.  First introduced in 1997, the Cook PVI measures how each district performs at the presidential level compared to the …

Subjects: Congress, Government Documents, Legal Research, Legislation

New Website Lets You Fax Art to Congress to Save the NEA

Artsy Editorial – “In the months since President Donald Trump took office, members of Congress have watched their phone lines reach capacity and their email inboxes overflow as constituents voice their displeasure with the administration’s policies and appointees… Now, a new website is giving citizens a way to get artistic with their political grievances. Artifax …

Subjects: Censorship, Civil Liberties, Congress, Economy, Education, Freedom of Information, Government Documents, Knowledge Management, Legal Research

Library of Congress National Recording Registry – 2016 inductees include Bowie, Sonny Rollins, Talking Heads

“Each year since 2002, the National Recording Preservation Board (NRPB) and members of the public have nominated recordings to the National Recording Registry. The depth and breadth of nominations received highlights the richness of the nations’ audio legacy and underscores the importance of assuring the long-term preservation of that legacy for future generations. Each year, …

Subjects: Congress, Education, Government Documents, Knowledge Management

WaPo – How Gorsuch’s judicial experience compares with current justices

Follow up to several related postings on Judge Gorsuch – via the Washington Post: “By comparing how frequently a judge saw one of 23 legal topics on the appeals court with how frequently the same topics reached the Supreme Court in the last three years, The Washington Post created a relative exposure index that measures …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Congress, Courts, Government Documents, Legal Research

Houses passes bill restricting use of non public scientific data by EPA

USNews: “The House of Representatives passed a bill Wednesday [April 5, 2017] that would that restrict the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to use certain types of scientific studies, a restraint that Republicans say is needed to stop unnecessary regulations the cost private companies millions of dollars. But Democrats said the measure, called the Honest and Open …

Subjects: Censorship, Congress, Government Documents, Health Care, Knowledge Management, Legal Research, Legislation