Public Policy and Regulation Blog™

While Election Day was November 5, 2024, the final results of the races for Congress were announced on Tuesday, December 3, 2024. Representative-elect Adam Gray (D-CA) narrowly defeated Representative John Duarte (R-CA), resulting in one of the smallest margins in history (220-215) to begin the 119th Congress on January 3, 2025. That narrow margin will shrink by three seats in several steps beginning January 3, 2025. Former-Representative Matt Gaetz (R-FL) resigned from the 118th Congress...

On November 20, 2024, Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) and Representative Jennifer McClellan (D-VA) introduced the Get Toxic Substances Out of Schools Act of 2024. This is the third consecutive Congress in which Senator Markey has introduced similar legislation. The 118th Congress version, S. 5363 and H.R. 10173, builds on earlier versions by authorizing new grants to address indoor air quality in schools and childcare centers. Congress is unlikely to act on this legislation in the...

President-elect Trump’s proposed (and aspirational) Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is the latest incarnation of a new Administration’s attempt to leave its mark on the federal government. In the November 20, 2024, Wall Street Journal, Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy published an Op-ed about the DOGE effort they will lead and the three kinds of reform DOGE will pursue: regulatory recissions, administrative reductions, and cost savings. We propose that DOGE add a fourth, equally...

Elections bring significant change, especially in Presidential election years. During the 76-day period between Election Day and Inauguration Day, President-elect Trump and his transition team are busy selecting people to serve in his Administration. Congress has even less time, only 59 days from the election until the 119th Congress convenes January 3, 2025, at noon. A previous post looks at what Congress may do during the lame duck period. This post looks at who will...

There is much that happens in Washington, D.C., and in the states in the 76 days between Election Day (November 5, 2024) and Inauguration Day (January 20, 2025). My last post identified some of the unfinished business the 118th Congress needs to address (e.g., funding the government beyond December 20, 2024, passing the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), and providing funding for disaster relief) before it adjourns sine die. The exact date and time of...

The list of pending issues that Congress could consider during the lame duck session in 2024 continues to grow. The list includes “must pass” items, including appropriations to fund the government through the remainder of Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 and the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). This blog focuses on issues not getting the congressional attention they deserve. Members of Congress returned to Washington, D.C., from summer recess for a three-week work period in September....