Criminal Law Library BlogHere’s an overview of the U.S. Department of State report titled The Chinese Communist Party on Campus: Opportunities & Risks (September 2020):
Articles Posted in U.S. Federal Government Information
An Introduction to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO)
A Congressional Budget Report, January 13, 2026.
Learn more about CBO’s work and its processes in a publication that is typically updated at the start of each Congress or a new session.
SUMMARY:
How the U.S. Captured Nicolas Maduro: A Rapid, High Stakes Operation
Condensed from **“How the US Operation to Capture Maduro Unfolded” by Ryan Morgan, The Epoch Times (Jan. 3, 2026).
Late on January 2, 2026, President Donald Trump ordered a carefully planned U.S. special operations mission to seize Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in Caracas. Within five hours, U.S. forces had landed, overcome resistance, and exited Venezuelan airspace with Maduro and his wife in custody , all without any reported American casualties.
The mission, dubbed Operation Absolute Resolve, reflected months of preparation. Prior to the raid, the U.S. had built up military assets in the region , including warships, aircraft, and Marines , and repeatedly tightened pressure on Maduro through strikes on drug-related targets and a naval blockade of Venezuelan oil tankers.
Executive Overreach and the Eroding Balance of Powers: What Voters are Telling US
Introduction:
In his December 10, 2025 column for Justia VERDICT, legal commentator Akshai Vikram argues that growing public concern over what many view as executive overreach under Donald J. Trump’s second administration is fueling calls for a stronger, more assertive Congress. Verdict
Widespread Disquiet Among Voters
Power Plays in Washington: A Deep Dive Into the 2025 Government Shutdown
OVERVIEW:
In their opinion feature “‘The wrong hill to die on’: 3 writers discuss the government shutdown”, Benjy Sarlin (Assignment Editor), Robert Gebelhoff (Editorial Board), and James Hohmann (Deputy Opinion Editor) dissect the unfolding government shutdown standoff. The authors explore the tug of war between Democrats’ demand to extend health care subsidies and Republicans’ insistence on passing a clean continuing resolution, all while President Donald Trump threatens to fire rather than furlough federal workers. The Washington Post
Together, they engage in a frank conversation about whether Democrats have picked the wrong political battlefield, who currently holds leverage, and how the high stakes of this shutdown could reshape the broader narrative over health care and governance.
How Changes to Funding for the NIH and Changes in the FDA’s Review Times Would Affect the Development of New Drugs
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:
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 the Trump administration’s second-term domestic agenda. It enacts sweeping reforms to the federal tax code, restructures discretionary and entitlement spending. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act does not suspend the debt ceiling through FY 2027. Instead, it raises the debt limit by a specific $5 trillion—an amount projected to sustain federal borrowing for roughly one to two years [i.e., until 2026–27, depending on fiscal trends].
Legislative History and Process
H.R. 1 advanced through Congress under budget reconciliation procedures, thereby circumventing the Senate filibuster and requiring only a simple majority for passage. This expedited pathway allowed the bill’s tax and spending provisions to be consolidated into a single legislative package and enacted swiftly along party lines.
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 executive branch, and shape national policy, Congress functions within a broader framework of shared authority known as the separation of powers.
In this posting, we explore key questions surrounding the legislative process, followed by overviews of congressional powers beyond lawmaking, the practical operation of separation of powers, and the exercise of war powers in a divided government. Our goal is to provide material that will be useful to law and legislative librarians, the legal profession at large, and anyone whose work or civic responsibilities require engagement with these fundamental issues.
I. Lawmaking Authority
Federal Mandatory Spending for Means-Tested Programs and Tax Credits
In this June 18, 2025 Report, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) provides information concerning outlays for the government’s major mandatory programs and tax credits that are primarily means-tested and provide assistance to people with relatively low income or few assets.
Summary:
House Budget Committee Chairman Arrington has asked CBO to provide information concerning outlays for the government’s major mandatory programs and tax credits that are primarily means-tested; that is, for programs and tax credits that provide cash payments or other forms of assistance to people with relatively low income or few assets.
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 available to households grouped on the basis of their income. (See CBO’s estimate of the budgetary effects of the bill.)