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The Federal Tap: Trump stumps
From Ballotpedia
October 12, 2018Issue No. 134
THE WEEK IN REVIEW
Saturday, October 6
Federal Register 2018 page total moves past 50,000 pages
- During the week of October 1 to October 5, the number of pages in the Federal Register increased by 1,210 pages, bringing the year-to-date total to 50,474 pages. A total of 535 documents were included in the week’s Federal Register, including 409 notices, nine presidential documents, 41 proposed rules, and 76 rules.
- The Federal Register is a daily journal of federal government activity which includes presidential documents, proposed and final rules, and public notices. It is a common measure of an administration’s regulatory execution.
- Five final rules were deemed significant under E.O. 12866—meaning that they may have large impacts on the economy, environment, public health, or state or local governments. Significant actions may also conflict with presidential priorities or other agency rules.
- During the same week in 2017, the number of pages in the Federal Register increased by 1,214 pages, bringing the year-to-date total to 46,892 pages. As of October 5, the 2018 total led the 2017 total by 3,582 pages.
- The Trump administration has added an average of 1,262 pages to the Federal Register each week in 2018 as of October 5. Over the course of the Obama administration, the Federal Register increased by an average of 1,658 pages per week.
- According to government data, the Federal Register hit an all-time high of 95,894 pages in 2016.
Tuesday, October 9
Haley announces she will leave U.N. post at end of year
- U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley announced that she would resign from her diplomatic post at the end of the year to take a break from public service. While sitting in the Oval Office together, President Donald Trump said of Haley, “She’s done a fantastic job and we’ve done a fantastic job together.”
- The U.S. ambassador to the U.N. is responsible for assisting the President of the United States and the U.S. Department of State in conducting U.S. policy at the United Nations, an international organization founded in 1945 with 193 member states. The position is formally known as the Permanent Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations.
- Trump said that he will name Haley’s successor in the next few weeks. His nominee will have to be confirmed by the Senate. Read more about Haley’s time as U.N. ambassador here.
Trump campaigns for Young in IA-03
- Trump held a rally in Iowa and urged voters to support Rep. David Young in the race for Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District as well as Gov. Kim Reynolds. He spoke of Young as an ally of the White House “who is with us all the way.”
- Obama endorsed Young’s Democratic challenger, Cindy Axne, on October 1.
- Young was first elected in 2014 and won re-election by 13 points in 2016. Although Trump won this district by three points in 2016, Obama won it by four points in 2012. Political forecasters consider this election to be competitive.
House Majority PAC announces $20 million in spending in 13 districts
- The House Majority PAC, a super PAC that aims to "help win back the House Majority for Democrats," according to the group's website, announced $20 Million in media spending on October 9.
- About $10 million of the spending went to TV ad buys in six California Congressional races. The ads ran in the 10th, 25th, 39th, 45th, 48th, and 49th Congressional Districts beginning October 9.
- Over $2 million was spent on ads in both Florida’s 26th and Texas’ 32nd Congressional Districts.
- The other districts the super PAC made ad buys in were MI-08, MI-11, NJ-07, NV-04, and NY-19.
Newspapers issue endorsements in Illinois' 14th Congressional District
- Three Chicago newspapers issued endorsements in the race between four-term incumbent Randy Hultgren (R) and healthcare policy advisor Lauren Underwood (D) in Illinois' 14th Congressional District.
- The Chicago Sun-Times issued its endorsement of Underwood on Sunday, followed by a Chicago Daily Herald endorsement Monday. Both papers had endorsed Hultgren in 2016, saying in their 2018 endorsements that they felt Underwood was a stronger candidate than Hultgren's previous challengers. The Chicago Tribune, which also endorsed Hultgren in 2016, endorsed him for re-election Tuesday, pointing to his statements on the role of government.
- The race was among those targeted in the House Majority PAC's October 2 wave of spending.
Bloomberg’s Everytown for Gun Safety endorses Republicans Curbelo and Fitzpatrick for Congress
- Everytown for Gun Safety, the pro-firearm regulation group founded by former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, endorsed two Republicans for re-election to the U.S. House: Carlos Curbelo in FL-26 and Brian Fitzpatrick in PA-01. Most of the organization’s 2018 endorsements were for Democratic candidates.
- In its endorsement of Curbelo, Everytown for Gun Safety cited his support for banning bump stocks and preventing individuals on the no-fly list from purchasing firearms. Curbelo, who was first elected in 2014, faces Democrat Debbie Mucarsel-Powell in a race that election forecasters have called a toss-up.
- In its endorsement of Fitzpatrick, the group cited his opposition to a bill that would have required states to recognize concealed carry permits from other states. Fitzpatrick faces Democrat Scott Wallace in a competitive general election. Fitzpatrick was also endorsed by the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO and Giffords, both organizations that usually support Democrats.
- Bloomberg has been mentioned as a potential 2020 presidential contender. He has pledged $100 million to super PACs supporting Democratic incumbents in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate this year. He previously considered running for president as an independent and was a Republican when he served as New York mayor throughout the 2000s.
Friday, October 12
Two high-profile rallies in battleground KY-06
- Former Vice President Joe Biden (D) joined Democratic nominee Amy McGrath at a fish and fry campaign event for Kentucky’s 6th Congressional District. President Donald Trump (R) is holding a campaign rally for incumbent Rep. Andy Barr (R) Saturday.
- The campaign stops give a glimpse of each candidate’s strategy in this toss-up race. Biden campaigned in rural Bath County, which backed Trump with 67 percent of the vote in 2016. The president’s rally will be held at Eastern Kentucky University in a stadium with a capacity of 6,500. The venue is in Richmond, the county seat of Madison County and the District’s second most populous city. Madison County backed Trump with 63 percent of the vote.
- Five public opinion polls conducted over the past six weeks show Barr and McGrath trading single-digit leads. Barr won re-election in 2016 by more than 20 percentage points.
Congress is in session
The Senate will be in session Monday through Friday. The House will not be in session. The lower chamber will reconvene on November 13, 2018.
SCOTUS is in session
The Supreme Court will not hear arguments this week. To learn more about this term, read our review.
WHAT'S ON TAP NEXT WEEK
Where was the president last week?
- On Monday, President Donald Trump and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein attended the International Association of Chiefs of Police convention in Orlando, Fla. In the evening, Trump participated in a swearing-in ceremony for Brett Kavanaugh as the 114th associate justice of the Supreme Court.
- On Tuesday, Trump announced changes to ethanol policy. He had lunch with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. In the evening, he held a campaign rally in Iowa for Gov. Kim Reynolds, Rep. Rod Blum, Rep. David Young, and Rep. Steve King.
- On Wednesday, Trump had lunch with Secretary of Defense James Mattis. In the evening, he held a campaign rally in Erie, Pa., for Rep. Lou Barletta's Senate bid.
- On Thursday, Trump and senior adviser Jared Kushner had lunch with Kanye West at the White House.
- On Friday, Trump held a campaign rally in Ohio for Rep. Steve Chabot and Senate candidate Rep. Jim Renacci.
Federal Judiciary
- 146 federal judicial vacancies
- 71 pending nominations
- 23 future federal judicial vacancies
About
The Tap covered election news, public policy, and other noteworthy events from February 2016 to February 2022.
