Weekly Roundup Archive: WR 3/8/25

3/10 - CMS Takes Aim to Reduce Improper Enrollments and Promote More Affordable Health Insurance Marketplaces for Millions of Consumers (CMS; see also, Reuters article)

3/10 - DHS Launches CBP Home App with Self-Deport Reporting Feature (DHS)

3/10 - DoD Report on Sexual Harassment and Violence at the Military Service Academies, Academic Program Year 2023-2024 (DOD; direct to report page > select “APY 24-24 MSA Report” button

3/10 - Department of the Interior Renames Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge in Honor of Jocelyn Nungaray (DOI; see also, refuge website)

3/10 - U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy Rescinds Memos Issued By Biden Administration That Injected Social Justice, Radical Environmental Agenda Into Infrastructure Funding Decisions (DOT; see also, 2021 memo and superseding 2023 memo via IA)

3/10 - U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights Sends Letters to 60 Universities Under Investigation for Antisemitic Discrimination and Harassment (ED – note for UC readers: list includes 4 UC campuses, including UCSD)

3/10 - HHS Secretary Kennedy Directs FDA to Explore Rulemaking to Eliminate Pathway for Companies to Self-Affirm Food Ingredients Are Safe (HHS)

3/10 - National Weather Service simplifies Heat Watch, Heat Warning products (NOAA)

3/11 - USDA, HHS Share Update on Dietary Guidelines for Americans Process (FNS; see also Guidelines website)

3/11 - HHS Office of General Counsel Announces Reorganization Effort (HHS; see also, HuffPost article)

3/11 - Secretary Turner Denounces DEI Criteria in Asheville’s Draft Disaster Plan (HUD; see also, MSNBC article)

3/11 - NTSB Makes Urgent Recommendations on Helicopter Traffic Near Reagan National Airport (NTSB)

3/11 - USGS projects world production capacity for 7 critical minerals and helium from 2025 to 2029 (USGS; direct to report/data page)

3/12 - Statement on CISA's Red Team (CISA; see also, TechCrunch article)

3/12 - CMS Innovation Center Announces Model Portfolio Changes to Better Protect Taxpayers and Help Americans Live Healthier Lives (CMS; see also, HealthCareDive article)

3/12 - HHS, DOJ Move to End Sexual Abuse and Harassment of Unaccompanied Alien Children in Shelters Operated by Southwest Key Programs (DOJ; see also, AP article)

3/12 - EPA Launches Biggest Deregulatory Action in U.S. History (EPA; multiple related press releases issued on 3/12; see also, AP article)

3/12 - Administrator Zeldin Announces EPA Will Revise Waters of the United States Rule (EPA; see also, National Law Review article)

3/12 - FCC Chairman Carr Launches Massive Deregulation Initiative (FCC)

3/12 - Correcting the Record about Social Security Direct Deposit and Telephone Services (SSA; see also, Newsweek article)

3/13 - Growth in Metro Areas Outpaced Nation (Census; direct to data page and press kit)

3/13 - ICE Arrests in First 50 Days of Trump Administration (DHS)

3/13 - U.S. Department of Education Hosts Meeting with Detransitioners and Advocates on Detrans Awareness Day (ED; see also, Advocate article)

3/13 - The Puerto Rico Advisory Committee Publishes its Third Memorandum on the Right to Vote at the Federal Level in Relation to the Effects of the Insular Cases and the Non-Incorporation Doctrine on the Civil Rights of Residents of Puerto Rico (USCCR; direct to memo page)

3/14 - Agency Fiscal Year 2024 Annual Report Data Published on FOIA.gov (DOJ; direct to website – note that full 2024 dataset is not available on the download page)

3/14 - U.S. Department of Justice Dismisses Biden-Era Lawsuit Against Alabama in order to have more Secure Elections (DOJ; see also, AL.com article)

3/14 - Office for Civil Rights Initiates Title VI Investigations into Institutions of Higher Education (ED; see also, NPR article)

3/14 - Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard Announces Investigations into Chats, Leaks, Launches Whistleblower Hotline (ODNI)

Information below is from congress.gov. Date listed is date signed into law, and the description is an abbreviated version of bill summary available on that website.

3/15 (time sensitive) -  H.R.1968, Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025 - provides continuing FY2025 appropriations to federal agencies for the remainder of FY2025

See full weekly list of Congressional hearings on congress.gov.

3/11 - Education Without Limits: Exploring the Benefits of School Choice (H Education; see also, chair and ranking member opening statements)

3/11 - Shifting Gears: Moving from Recovery to Prevention of Improper Payments and Fraud (H Oversight; see also, chair and ranking member opening statements | GAO report and blog post)

3/11 - Enhancing Federal, State, and Local Coordination in the Fight Against Criminal Illegal Aliens (H Oversight; see also, chair opening statement)

3/14 - Nomination: Mehmet Oz, Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (S Finance; see also, chair and ranking member opening statements | NBC News article)

It's Sunshine Week! Below are a few virtual events highlighting the importance of government transparency and accountability.

3/17 - Ensuring Transparency in an Age of Political Uncertainty (Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts)

3/18 - Careers in Government Transparency, Accountability, and Oversight (American Oversight)

3/19 - National Archives to Host Annual Forum on Transparency and Access to Government Records (NARA)

3/20 - Opening the Door to Transparency: FOIA 101 Training (American Oversight)

3/20 - Advanced Technology, Artificial Intelligence, and the Future of the Freedom of Information Act (Americans for Prosperity Foundation)

3/20 - Open Boundaries for Open Government (Sunshine Week)

White House press releases and executive actions

This week's news/media reading list

Trump Trackers page

3/12 - HUD’s Office of Multifamily Housing Programs Can Improve Its Monitoring of Civil Rights Compliance (HUD)

3/12 - Public International Organizations in Afghanistan: State and USAID Agreements with PIOs Need Strengthening to Ensure U.S. Funds are Not Diverted to Terrorist Groups (SIGAR; note – briefly missing from website 3/14)

3/12 - Project Announcement: Audits of the Disposition of Assets for Terminated USAID Awards (USAID)

3/13 - PBS Allowed the Use of a Drone from a Prohibited Source to Photograph Construction at a Land Port of Entry in San Luis, Arizona (GSA)

3/13 - Little Overlap Exists Between ORR-Funded Foster Care and the US Domestic Foster Care System (HHS)

3/13 - Improvements Are Required to Promptly Validate and Issue Manual Refunds Associated With Deceased Taxpayers (TIGTA)

3/14 - The Census Bureau Did Not Develop a Workforce Plan to Address Field Representative Staffing Gaps (DOC)

3/14 - Prior OIG Engagements Relevant to the Farm Production and Conservation Agencies’ Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Funding (USDA)

CRS reports have migrated to https://www.congress.gov/crs-products. Note that limiting search results to “reports” excludes Legal Sidebar, In Focus, Insight and other types of publications. Note, too, that the new html publications still (sigh) can’t be captured in IA.

3/11 - Gender and School Sports: Federal Action and Legal Challenges to State Laws (CRS)

3/11 - Deferred Resignation or “Fork in the Road”: Selected Relevant Legal Challenges and Considerations for Congress (CRS)

3/12 - How Changes in Economic Conditions Might Affect the Federal Budget: 2025 to 2035 (CBO)

3/13 - Executive Order 14210: Using Agency Shutdown Plans to Inform Reductions in Force (RIFs) (CRS)

3/12 - Enforcement Actions in or Near Protected Areas (DHS)

3/14 - Unauthorized Disposition of Federal Records: 1) USAID, pending review – 2025-0047: Allegation that officials at USAID had begun large-scale destruction of classified documents at the Washington, DC headquarters in the Ronald Reagan Building. (NARA; see also, related 2025-0044 and 2025-0037 | NBC News article)

3/14 - AERA has just learned that all restricted-use NCES data licenses will be cancelled, possibly as early as March 20 (AERA)

3/10 - OPM Inspector General Assessing Risks to Agency IT Systems after Oversight Democrats Raise Serious Cybersecurity and Privacy Concerns about DOGE (H Oversight; direct to letter to OIGs and OPM response; see also, Wired article)

3/10 - Ranking Member Connolly Launches Investigation Into Agency “Reduction In Force” Plans That Threaten Life-Saving Government Services (H Oversight; direct to letters to agencies)

3/12 - Wyden Releases New Information on Financing of Jeffrey Epstein’s operations by Billionaire Leon Black, Seeks Documents from Trump Administration (S Finance; direct to settlement document and letter to Treasury/DOJ/FBI)

3/13 - Huffman, Dexter Demand Documents on Trump Administration’s DOGE-Mandated Reductions in Force Plans (H Natural Resources; direct to letter to DOI)