Weekly Roundup Archive: WR 8/15/20

Note: statements concerning ongoing civil protests are being compiled on a separate guide

8/17 - DHS rebukes GAO’s deeply flawed attempt to revive its partisan impeachment efforts with baseless report (DHS; see also, GAO’s 8/21 Reconsideration—Legality of Service of Acting Secretary of Homeland Security and Service of Senior Official Performing the Duties of Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security)

8/17 - Secretary Bernhardt Signs Decision to Implement the Coastal Plain Oil and Gas Leasing Program in Alaska re: Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (DOI)

8/17 - Interagency Issues Advisory on Use of Technology to Detect and Mitigate Unmanned Aircraft Systems (DOJ)

8/18 - Secretary Bernhardt Announces Historic Expansion of Hunting and Fishing Opportunities on Public Lands (DOI)

8/18 - HHS Releases Healthy People 2030 with National Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Objectives for the Next Decade (HHS; direct to website)

8/18 - Second Review of the Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance Policy (State, with link to review document; see also, CRS report “Abortion and Family Planning-Related Provisions in U.S. Foreign Assistance Law and Policy”)

8/18 - Postmaster General Louis DeJoy Statement (USPS)

8/19 - CDC data show disproportionate COVID-19 impact in American Indian/Alaska Native populations (CDC)

8/20 - Small Business Pulse Survey Phase 2 Weekly Data Release (Census)

8/20 - Leaders Of ‘We Build The Wall’ Online Fundraising Campaign Charged With Defrauding Hundreds Of Thousands Of Donors (DOJ)

8/21 - Over 73% of Housing Units Counted So Far in 2020 Census (Census; see also, response rates by geographic area)

8/21 - Secretary DeVos Fully Implements President Trump's Presidential Memorandum Extending Student Loan Relief to Borrowers Through End of Year (ED)

8/21 - Treasury Releases United States Postal Service Fact Sheet (Treas; see also, Senate HSGAC hearing: Examining the Finances and Operations of the United States Postal Service During COVID-19 and Upcoming Elections)

8/17 - Judge Blocks The Trump Administration's Effort To Roll Back Transgender Healthcare Protections (Courts, via BuzzFeed; includes source document; see also, Pelosi Statement on District Court Victory for LGBTQ Americans)

8/17 – Postmaster General testifies about changes to postal operations with Senate HSGAC Committee on 8/21 and with House Oversight Committee on 8/24 (Congress)

8/17 - Wyden Sounds Alarm on FBI Again Violating Policy to Damage Democratic Presidential Candidate (Congress)

8/17 – Washington State AG files federal lawsuits against three agencies for failing to produce records related to National Archives in Seattle (via Washington AG, with links to source documents for NARA, OMB, and GSA)

8/18 - Senate Intel Releases Volume 5 of Bipartisan Russia Report (Congress; see also, Chairman Schiff Statement on Senate Intelligence Committee Trump-Russia Report on Counterintelligence Vulnerabilities)

8/18 - Revisions to the Governmentwide Systems of Records Covering Ethics Records (OGE)

8/19 – Trump administration bars FDA from regulating some laboratory tests, including for coronavirus (via Washington Post, with link to HHS announcement)

8/19 - Academic Institutions Subcommittee Tasking Memo re: advice and recommendations on matters related to homeland security and the academic community (DHS HSAC)

8/19 - Final Report of the Emerging Technologies Subcommittee - Biotechnology (DHS HSAC)

8/19 - Subcommittee Requests Trump Administration Reverse LGBTQ+ Discrimination Policies in Light of Bostock v. Clayton County (Congress)

8/20 - Warren Requests CARES Act Oversight Committee Investigate Trump Administration's Decision to Award Kodak a $765 Million Contract as Part of COVID-19 Response (Congress)

8/21 - Appeals court backs greater disclosure of 'dark money' donors (Courts, via Politico; with link to source document)

8/17 - Lack of Planning Risks EPA’s Ability to Meet Toxic Substances Control Act Deadlines (EPA)

8/17 - U.S. Postal Service Mail Recovery Center (USPS)

8/18 - Evaluation of the United States Military Support of Department of Homeland Security Southern Border Security Operations Under Title 10 Authority (DOD)

8/18 – 2020 Census Alert: The Census Bureau Faces Challenges in Accelerating Hiring and Minimizing Attrition Rates for Abbreviated 2020 Census Field Operations (Census)

8/19 - Request for Information to Census Bureau Director Steven Dillingham from the Inspector General re: the Hiring of a New Deputy Director for Data (Census)

8/19 – “Election and Political Mail” section added to USPS OIG website (USPS; see also, new “Election Mail” section added to main USPS website)

8/19 – SSA OIG adds notice to website indicating a change from limited disclosure of audit reports with sensitive/confidential information to redacting that information “to allow maximum distribution of all reports” (SSA)

Most OIG Semiannual Reports (SARs) for Spring 2020 have been released, though a few remain outstanding. If interested, you can click here to track which ones are available.

8/17 - Mashpee Wampanoag v. Bernhardt: A Tale of Two Definitions of “Indian” (CRS)

8/17 - 2020 Census Fieldwork Delayed by COVID-19 (CRS)

8/18 - Understanding Federal Legislation: A Section-by-Section Guide to Key Legal Considerations (CRS)

8/19 - Immigration Detention: ICE Should Enhance Its Use of Facility Oversight Data and Management of Detainee Complaints (GAO)

8/20 - USDA Domestic Food Assistance Programs: FY2020 Appropriations (CRS)

8/21 - Potential Land and Natural Resources Policy Implications of McGirt v. Oklahoma (CRS)

8/21 - Legality of Service of Acting Secretary of Homeland Security and Service of Senior Official Performing the Duties of Deputy Secretary of Homeland SecurityꟷReconsideration (GAO)

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.

- none this week