Monday, Nov 9 – What is your federal government up to? What actions get overlooked by the mainstream media? Now that we have a “lame duck” Congress, what actions will they take before January 20, 2021?
Below are some great resources for staying informed of our federal government’s activities:
- Congress.gov lists current legislative actions, upcoming committee meetings, and bills to be considered. It also links to the Congressional Record which provides a daily digest of the latest activity.
- The Presidential Actions section of the Whitehouse.gov lists official proclamations, memoranda, and executive orders made by the President in chronological order with the most recent first. You can also filter by issues.
- GovInfo provides free public access to official publications from all three branches of the Federal Government. It is a service of the United States Government Publishing Office, an agency in the legislative branch.
- The Federal Register – Published by the National Archives and Records Administration, is the official daily publication for rules, proposed rules, and notices of Federal agencies and organizations, as well as executive orders and other presidential documents. Create an account and subscribe to certain notices or customize your My Register home page.
- Reginfo.gov displays regulatory actions currently under review at OIRA – the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. The regulatory dashboard displays regulatory actions by agency, length of review, economic significance, and stage of rulemaking.
- The Code of Federal Regulations is the codification of the general and permanent rules published in the Federal Register by the executive departments and agencies of the U.S. Federal Government. (U.S. Government Printing Office)
If you’re interested in following a certain issue like immigration or health policy, do a subject search on any of the above sites but especially The Federal Register. Or check out the appropriate agency web site. Most are listed on the homepage of The Federal Register.
Finally, Regulations.gov allows users to comment on proposed rules and notices from the Federal Register. Most Federal agencies accept comments on documents within a defined timeframe, known as the open comment period.