From the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), July 18, 2025. CBO was asked to assess the effects of a permanent 10 percent reduction in NIH funding and a nine-month increase in FDA review times of new drug applications. SUMMARY STATEMENT: “CBO provides information about how changes to funding for the National…
Articles Posted in Federal government
H.R. 1 (119th Cong.): Summary of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” *
On July 4, 2025, President Donald J. Trump signed into law H.R. 1, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” enacted as Pub. L. No. 119–21, 139 Stat. ___ (2025). Passed through the budget reconciliation process under the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, this comprehensive legislation represents a central pillar of…
H.R. 1605 SOPRA
Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Cost Estimate July 9, 2025. In the context of the US Congress, SOPRA refers to the Separation of Powers Restoration Act. It’s a legislative proposal aimed at amending the Administrative Procedure Act to change how courts review agency actions. Specifically, SOPRA seeks to eliminate the practice of “Chevron deference,” where courts…
Congress, the Constitution, and Command: Lawmaking and War Powers in a Divided Government
The legislative branch of the United States government (embodied in Congress, which consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate) is the cornerstone of the federal lawmaking process and a central pillar of the constitutional system of checks and balances. Through its exclusive powers to enact laws, oversee the…
Why State Constitutions Matter More Than You Think: Reflections on “Your State Has a Constitution. Why Not Use It?”
In a timely and thought-provoking piece published in the Criminal Justice Magazine (Spring 2025), Richard Alan Ginkowski, a judge, and legal educator who has contributed to American Bar Association publications, urges legal professionals and advocates to take a closer look at an often-overlooked resource: their own state constitutions. His article,…
How H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, Would Affect the Distribution of Resources Available to Households
From the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), June 12, 2025:* OVERVIEW: “This interactive tool illustrates the distributional effects of H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. It allows users to explore how H.R. 1, as passed by the House of Representatives on May 22, 2025, would affect the economic resources…
Debt Service Effects Derived from H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act
Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Report, June 5, 2025. CBO estimates that debt-service costs under H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, would total $551 billion over the 2025–2034 period—increasing the bill’s cumulative effect on the deficit to $3.0 trillion. Summary: “CBO responds to a request from Senator Merkley for…
Defending the Defenders: Lawyers, Democracy, and the Limits of Presidential Power
Opening Statement: In a democracy founded on the rule of law, the independence of the legal profession is not merely a professional concern, it is a public necessity. Recent events involving unprecedented attempts to target a prominent law firm highlight the critical intersection between the role of lawyers and the…
Dualist Democracy and the Trump Administration–Judicial Authority in Extraordinary Times
This posting consists of commentary on Roger Citron’s article, Judge Wilkinson’s Dualist Opinion in Abrego Garcio v. Noem: Judicial Review of Executive Action in a Transformative Time, amplified with information from additional sources related to Bruce Ackerman’s theory of the United States as a dualist democracy. In his article, Roger…
CBO: Projections of Deficits and Debt Under Alternative Scenarios for the Budget and Interest Rates
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO)* analyzed the effects of alternative budget scenarios in which provisions of the 2017 tax act were extended and the average interest rate on federal debt increased. Summary: This letter responds to a request for an analysis of projected deficits and debt under alternative scenarios for…