Judicial Vacancies Rose Under Obama, & More from CRS
The number of district court vacancies during the Obama presidency grew from 41 vacancies in January 2009 to 75 vacancies in September 2016 — an unusual 83% increase, according to a new assessment from the Congressional Research Service.
By contrast, the number of vacancies decreased over the course of the George W. Bush Administration from 58 to 32 (a 45% decrease) and over the course of the Clinton Administration from 93 to 42 (a 55% decrease).
See U.S. District Court Vacancies: Overview and Comparative Analysis, CRS Insight, September 14, 2016
Other new and updated reports from the Congressional Research Service include the following.
U.S. Circuit Court Vacancies: Overview and Comparative Analysis, CRS Insight, September 14, 2016
How a National Infrastructure Bank Might Work, CRS Insight, September 15, 2016
International Food Aid Programs: Background and Issues, updated September 14, 2016
FDA Regulation of Medical Devices, updated September 14, 2016
Prospects in Colombia: Cease-Fire, Peace Accord Vote, and Potential Disrupters, CRS Insight, September 14, 2016
Nicaragua: In Brief, September 14, 2016
Navy Ship Names: Background for Congress, updated September 14, 2016
Yesterday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposed revoking its 2009 “endangerment finding” that greenhouse gases pose a substantial threat to the public. The Federation of American Scientists stands in strong opposition.
Modernizing ClinicalTrials.gov will empower patients, oncologists, and others to better understand what trials are available, where they are available, and their up-to-date eligibility criteria, using standardized search categories to make them more easily discoverable.
The Federation of American Scientists supports H.R. 4420, the Cool Corridors Act of 2025, which would reauthorize the Healthy Streets program through 2030 and seeks to increase green and other shade infrastructure in high-heat areas.
The current lack of public trust in AI risks inhibiting innovation and adoption of AI systems, meaning new methods will not be discovered and new benefits won’t be felt. A failure to uphold high standards in the technology we deploy will also place our nation at a strategic disadvantage compared to our competitors.