Category «Congress»

FDA Finalizes Historic Rule Enabling Access to Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids for Millions of Americans

“Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a final rule to improve access to hearing aids which may in turn lower costs for millions of Americans. This action establishes a new category of over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids, enabling consumers with perceived mild to moderate hearing impairment to purchase hearing aids directly from stores or …

Subjects: Congress, Government Documents, Health Care

The 6th National Risk Assessment on Hazardous Heat

“New research from First Street Foundation analyzes the the prevalence of increasing extreme temperatures and dangerous heat wave events throughout the contiguous United States, with a key finding being the incidence of heat that exceeds the threshold of the National Weather Service’s (NWS) highest category for heat, called “Extreme Danger” (Heat Index above 125°F) is …

Subjects: Climate Change, Congress, Economy, Environmental Law, Government Documents, Health Care, Housing, Transportation

Constitutional Limits on States’ Power over Foreign Affairs

CRS Legal Sidebar – Constitutional Limits on States’ Power over Foreign Affairs, August 15, 2022 – “The Constitution gives the federal government the primary power to manage the United States’ foreign relations. Article I, Section 10 prohibits states from engaging in a set of activities that implicate international affairs, while the Supremacy Clause, Foreign Commerce …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Congress, Courts, Economy, Financial System, Government Documents, Legal Research

Climate Liability Suits: Is There a Path to Federal Court?

CRS Legal Sidebar – Climate Liability Suits: Is There a Path to Federal Court? August 12, 2022: “Many of the most prominent court cases related to climate change in recent years have been decided by federal courts, including the Supreme Court, based on federal law. A growing number of cases,however, allege state-law claims against fossil …

Subjects: Climate Change, Congress, Courts, Energy, Environmental Law

Presidential Power to Declassify Information, Explained

The New York Times – “While it is legally irrelevant, former President Donald J. Trump claims he had declassified the top secret files the F.B.I. seized at his Florida residence. Former President Donald Trump’s claim that he had declassified all of the documents that the FBI seized in the search of his Florida home last …

Subjects: Congress, Defense, Government Documents, Legal Research

Bipartisan Panelists Highlight “Desperate Need” to Counter Election Misinformation

“Today, Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney, Chairwoman of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, held a roundtable with state officials and election experts to examine the effects of the unprecedented rise in election lies following the 2020 presidential election.  Ahead of the roundtable, the Committee released new findings from the Committee’s investigation into the dire problem of …

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

Preliminary Report: The Climate and Energy Impacts of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022

Suggested citation: Jenkins, J.D., Mayfield, E.N., Farbes, J., Jones, R., Patankar, N., Xu, Q., Schivley, G., “Preliminary Report: The Climate and Energy Impacts of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022,” REPEAT Project, Princeton, NJ, August 2022 “This report describes the national-scale energy system and greenhouse gas emissions impacts of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), as …

Subjects: Climate Change, Congress, Economy, Energy, Environmental Law, Government Documents, Legislation

New Features and Updates to the Constitution Annotated Website

In Custodia Legis: “Written in “plain English“, The Constitution of the United States of America: Analysis and Interpretation, better known as the Constitution Annotated, has served as Congress’s Constitution of record for over one hundred years. A Senate document, the Constitution Annotated is prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) and provides objective, authoritative, timely, and …

Subjects: Congress, E-Government, Government Documents, Knowledge Management, Legal Research

As Partisan Hostility Grows, Signs of Frustration With the Two-Party System

Pew Research Center Report – “Nearly half of younger adults say they ‘wish there were more parties to choose from’. Partisan polarization has long been a fact of political life in the United States. But increasingly, Republicans and Democrats view not just the opposing party but also the people in that party in a negative …

Subjects: Congress, Knowledge Management, Social Media

Feds’ pay lags 22.5% behind private sector

Federal News Network – “Salaries for federal employees fall significantly behind the private sector, the Federal Salary Council reported [August 5, 2022]. The council reported the pay disparity between public and private sector employees, on average, was 22.47%. In late 2020, the council calculated the pay gap at 23.11%. The pay disparity is calculated based …

Subjects: Congress, Economy, Legislation

A Century of Business in the Supreme Court, 1920-2020

Epstein, Lee and Gulati, Mitu, A Century of Business in the Supreme Court, 1920-2020 (August 3, 2022). Available at SSRN: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4178504&stream=top “A decade and a half into its life, we ask: How pro business is the Roberts Court? Using a simple objective measure – how often does business win in the Court when it is …

Subjects: Congress, Courts, Economy, Financial System, Legal Research

DOJ is suing to make sure women who need medically necessary abortions can actually get them

Vox: “A month after the Supreme Court’s decision overruling Roe v. Wade, it’s unclear whether many patients with dangerous pregnancies can receive medically necessary abortions. Some women have traveled to other states for lifesaving care because doctors in their home state feared prosecution. Others were left to bleed by their health care providers who feared …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Congress, Courts, Government Documents, Health Care, Legal Research, Legislation, Medicine, Privacy