Below is a selection of articles the Federal Relations team read this week.
Impeachment: President Trump became the first president to ever be impeached twice, when we was impeached by the House of Representatives for “incitement of insurrection”. He must now face a trial by the US Senate. Updates and a “whip count” (counting of support/opposition) of Senators is here.
Parler Sues Amazon: Social media site Parler sued Amazon after being removed from most major platforms. In a response, Amazon defended their decision to remove Parler, citing violent content. Read more here.
DC on Lockdown: Large parts of Washington, DC surrounding the Capitol have been closed off and are under strict security and National Guard watch following the violent events of January 6th, and in anticipation of the upcoming inauguration. Among the measures include the National Park Service closing the National Mall by request from the US Secret Service. More.
Arrests Continue: Several people from across the country have been arrested in connection with the violent attack on the Capitol on January 6th. Many were tracked down through social media. Updates here.
Biden Picks Continue: In addition to a slew of scientific appointments, President-elect Biden announced Janet McCabe will serve as Deputy EPA Administrator. McCabe is currently a professor at Indiana University School of Law and led the EPA’s Air Office under President Obama. More.
Census: The US Census Bureau has ceased efforts to compile tallies of undocumented immigrants, in a supposed effort by the White House to exclude them from Congressional apportionment. Historically, apportionment has always been done without regard to citizenship status. The order came from agency leadership in response to a Commerce Department Inspector General whistleblower complaint. Full story.