Over time, Congress has shown consistent interest in policing public-sector corruption, enacting a number of criminal provisions aimed at holding corrupt officials and those who entice them accountable for their actions under federal law. Federal prosecutors’ most potent existing tools for combating such corruption include the federal mail and wire fraud statutes and a provision … Read more
The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) is an interagency committee chaired by the Secretary of the Treasury. It serves the President in overseeing the national security risks of certain foreign direct investment (FDI) in the U.S. economy. CFIUS jurisdiction includes the review of mergers, acquisitions, and takeovers that could result in … Read more
The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines licensed or authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are a critical tool to reduce the spread and severity of COVID-19. FDA initially authorized the vaccines, between December 2020 and February 2021, under Section 564 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act), a regulatory … Read more
The United States Constitution and The Declaration of Independence Pocket Constitution – Related Materials TCNCRM.com / TCNCAM.com If you have suggestions for additional Constitution-related items that should be referenced, please contact us. Thanks to the people who have made suggestions: Prof. W. B. Allen, Prof. Robert McDonald, Toby Dorsey. Antonin Scalia – On American … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms STOCK Act / Stop Trading On Congressional Knowledge Act Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act of 2012 or STOCK Act – (Sec. 3) Requires the congressional ethics committees to issue interpretive guidance of the rules of each chamber, including rules on conflicts of interest and … Read more
Crony Capitalism / Rent-Seeking / Corporate Welfare / Revolving Door Corporate welfare refers to subsidies and regulatory protections that lawmakers confer on certain businesses and industries. When considering budget issues, federal policymakers are supposed to have the broad public interest in mind. Unfortunately, that is not how the federal budget process usually works in practice. … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms “Zero Based Budgeting is a method of budgeting in which all expenses must be justified for each new period. Zero-based budgeting starts from a ‘zero base,’ and every function within an organization is analyzed for its needs and costs. Budgets are then built around what … Read more
Neil Sedaka – Breaking Up Is Hard To Do Washington is an endless maze of funhouse mirrors, a fact we’re reminded of once a year when The Hill publishes its 50 Most Beautiful list [2017 was the last one], replete with people who are Washington hot, which is a step above rehab hot … Read more
Last month, California became the first state to establish a set of regulations on the bevy of new companies that summon rides-for-hire via smartphone apps. Most prominent among such services are Lyft (a pure “rideshare” in which the fee you pay is officially a donation) and Uber (which offers various services in 31 cities in … Read more
[Alexandria (VA) City Architect Henry] Lewis started raising hell and — to make a long story short — [Jeremy] McPike got him fired. An Alexandria jury found that Lewis had been wrongfully terminated, according to the anti-retaliation provisions of the Virginia Fraud against Taxpayers Act, and awarded him $104,000 in back pay. The city is … Read more