Legislation

Gun Dealers Can Now Screen Employees Through Background Checks

Gun dealers and other federally licensed firearms businesses will be able to run FBI criminal background checks on employees who handle weapons, under a...

Social Welfare

New Eligibility Rules Proposed For Health Insurance Marketplace Enrollees

Health insurance Marketplace applicants and enrollees would face new eligibility and verification checks before coverage begins, under a proposal the...

Lobbying Activity

ATS Group Lobbies on US Investment in North Macedonia via Valcour

ATS Group, a North Macedonia client, reported lobbying on U.S. investment under the Manufacturing issue code in its third-quarter 2026 filing.

Government Operations

DHS Orders DeepSeek Removed From Federal Agency Systems

Federal civilian agencies must exclude DeepSeek products from information technology procurements and remove covered products already deployed on their...

Politics

Asylum Grant Rate Falls to 3% as Abandonments Surge

The defensive asylum grant rate in U.S. immigration courts fell from 25% in fiscal 2017 to 3% in the third quarter of fiscal 2026, a 22-percentage-point...

Politics

House Republicans Push Pennsylvania on School Choice

The House Committee on Education and Workforce held an Oct. 23 field hearing in Bethlehem, Pa., titled “More Choices, Brighter Futures: Expanding Education...

Lobbying

Leadership Conference Lobbies ICE Biometric Ban As Bill Stalls

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is lobbying to support S. 3779, the ICE Out of Our Faces Act, which would ban U.S. Immigration and...

International Affairs

Pentagon Puts Iran War Cost at $47.1 Billion; Lawmakers React

Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX) posted Oct. 28 that a new Pentagon estimate puts the Iran war cost at $47.1 billion, excluding damage to U.S. military bases in...

Politics

Aging Federal Oceanographic Fleet Faces Gaps

The federal oceanographic research vessel fleet has had no government-wide inventory since March 2016, and NOAA's 15 remaining research and survey vessels...

Congress

Congress Faces Continuing Gap in State Department Authorization

Congress has not enacted a comprehensive Department of State (DOS) authorization since 2002, and annual appropriations bills have carried standing waivers...

Legislation

Two Declaration of Independence Time Capsules Authorized

Congress authorized two semiquincentennial time capsules for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, one of which remains without a burial...

Congress

Senate Confirmed Judges in 16 of 21 Postwar Lame Duck Sessions

Lame duck judicial confirmations have been a recurring feature of postwar Senate practice, with the chamber confirming at least one circuit or district...

Politics

Gill Mead Promoted to Senior Legislative Assistant in Rep. Maxine Dexter's Office

Gill Mead has been promoted to senior legislative assistant in the office of Rep. Maxine Dexter (D-OR), effective Sept. 1, after approximately 18 months in...

Politics

Emma Farwell Promoted in Office of Sen. Mark Kelly

Emma Farwell has moved into the scheduling associate/assistant to the chief of staff role in the personal office of Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), effective Oct....

Personnel Movements

Maddie McComb Promoted to Communications Director for Sen. Chris Coons

Maddie McComb has been named communications director in the office of Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE), effective October 1. McComb previously held the role of...

Politics

Olivia Ngo Promoted to Legislative Correspondent in Sen. Rosen's Office

Olivia Ngo moved into the legislative correspondent role for Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV), effective October 1. Ngo previously served as a staff assistant for...

Personnel Movements

Vaso Rahimzadeh Joins Sen. Mark Kelly's Office as Science Detailee

Vaso Rahimzadeh joined the personal office of Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) as an American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) detailee, effective...