Government Operations

Federal Bureaucracy Stalls Tribal Energy Development Opportunities

Tribal energy leasing sits at the intersection of two forces shaping Washington right now: the Trump administration's push for energy dominance and a...

Government Operations

Proposed Labor Rule Reshapes 401(k) Investment Options for Workers

The Department of Labor is moving to rewrite the rules governing how retirement plan managers select investment options for American workers, and the...

Defense

Spectrum Auction Threatens National Security and Telecom Survival

A high-stakes wireless spectrum auction set to begin June 2 is putting billions of dollars, national security priorities, and the financial survival of a...

Legislation

FEMA Review Council Recommends Sweeping Disaster Response Changes

The FEMA Review Council final report, approved at the Council's final meeting on May 7, 2026, lands at a moment when the future of federal disaster response...

Congress

Federal Research Centers Face Congressional Oversight Scrutiny

The federal government funds 41 Federally Funded Research and Development Centers — a sprawling network of contractor-operated labs that touch everything...

Government Operations

DOJ Challenges Decades-Old Presidential Records Law

A new Congressional Research Service report is pushing back on a sweeping legal opinion from the Trump administration's Justice Department, setting up a...

Government Operations

House to Vote on $65 Billion Science Spending Bill Amid Dispute Over Policy Riders

Why it matters: The House floor votes this week include H.R. 8845, the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2027, a $65...

Government Operations

Senate Panel Challenges Deep Cuts to Native Programs

The Senate Indian Affairs Committee convenes Wednesday with the federal government's obligations to Native American tribes squarely on the table. The Trump...

Politics

Legis1 Background: Landry's Senate Gambit Pays Off as Cassidy Loses Primary to Letlow

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry's effort to reshape Jeff Landry Louisiana Senate 2026 politics by installing Rep. Julia Letlow in the U.S. Senate came to a head...

Legislation

Legis1 Background: The Two-Step Shuffle Over $1B For Trump's Ballroom

Republicans spent days navigating the political fallout over $1 billion in Secret Service funding tied to a White House ballroom project before the Senate...

Congress

Air Force Budget: Modernization Claims Face Readiness Scrutiny

The House Armed Services Committee's review of the Department of the Air Force Fiscal Year 2027 Budget is arriving at a moment of genuine tension between...

Labor and Employment

Senate Panel Examines Eroding Whistleblower Protections

Whistleblower protections are under pressure from multiple directions at once, and the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee is stepping into...

Law and Order

DOJ Budget Cuts Threaten Law Enforcement Independence

The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies will convene May 19 to examine the Department of Justice fiscal...

Law and Order

FBI Budget Hearing Turns Contentious Over Patel's Fitness

Why it matters: A routine FY 2027 DOJ budget hearing before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies on...

Government Operations

Aircraft Losses From Iran Conflict Go Unanswered

The United States lost or damaged 42 aircraft during Operation Epic Fury, a military campaign launched February 28, 2026, in coordination with Israel...

Congress

Committee Scrutinizes Record VA Budget Amid Workforce Cuts

The Trump administration's $488.2 billion budget request for the Department of Veterans Affairs is heading to Capitol Hill under conditions that have made...

Defense

Senate Debates Record Navy Budget Increase Amid Concerns

The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Department of Defense is set to examine a Navy budget request that, if approved, would represent the largest...