Category: Federal-State Relations

Billions in Stolen COVID Assistance Funds Likely Gone Forever

A rush to provide financial assistance to Americans forced out of their jobs in the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a $191 billion bonanza for fraudsters, according to chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee Rep. Jason Smith (R-Mo.). “There’s no question folks needed help, which is exactly why Congress should have protected this program…


Billions in Stolen COVID Assistance Funds Likely Gone Forever: Rep. Smith

A rush to provide financial assistance to Americans forced out of their jobs in the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a $191 billion bonanza for fraudsters, according to chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee Rep. Jason Smith (R-Mo.). “There’s no question folks needed help, which is exactly why Congress should have protected this program…


Texas Sues Biden Admin Over ‘Pharmacy Mandate’ to Dispense Abortion Drugs

Texas filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration on Tuesday to block federal health guidance that allegedly forces pharmacies to dispense abortion-inducing drugs. The Biden administration in July 2022 released guidance requiring pharmacies to supply women with abortion-inducing drugs or risk losing Medicaid and Medicare funds, even if certain state laws prohibit the procedure. Texas argues…


Texas to Sue Biden Administration Over Endangered Species Listing

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Feb. 6 issued a notice of intent to sue two Biden administration agencies over an endangered species listing for the lesser prairie chicken, adding to a growing number of states resisting the decision. “This rule was a targeted attempt to implement an unlawful, top-down federal approach aimed at advancing…


Florida’s Death Penalty: DeSantis Calls for Repeal of Unanimous Jury Requirement

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis wants the Florida Legislature to change a state law that requires a unanimous jury vote to impose a death sentence. Speaking at the Florida Sheriffs Association Winter Conference in St. Johns County on Jan. 23, DeSantis called upon Florida’s legislators to reconsider the state’s requirement that a jury must vote unanimously…


Coalition Sues Biden Administration Over ‘Parole’ Program for Immigrants

President Joe Biden’s administration is abusing federal law with its new program that is set to grant tens of thousands of immigrants authorization to live and work in the United States, a new lawsuit alleges. Federal law enables the secretary of homeland security to grant “parole” to illegal immigrants after determining, on a “case-by-case basis,”…


NSSF-NRA Schism on Full Display at 2023 SHOT Show

LAS VEGAS—With the Biden administration touting a revival of the 1990s-era “assault weapons” ban and encouraging states to tighten gun-control regulations, the firearms industry and gun-owners’ rights advocates—with notable exceptions—say Congress and state lawmakers should instead focus on keeping weapons out of criminals’ hands and on boosting mental health programs. For more than a decade,…


Supreme Court Turns Away Appeal About States Using COVID-19 Relief Funds for Tax Cuts

The Supreme Court refused on Jan. 17 to take up an appeal by Missouri challenging a ban on states using federal pandemic-relief funds to offset state revenue reductions, such as those attributed to tax cuts or other policy changes. The decision is a victory for the Biden administration, which had urged the court to deny…


New House Rules Make It Easier to Shift Federal Public Lands to States

LAS VEGAS—The rules package adopted Jan. 9 by the U.S. House of Representatives loosens regulations relating to the transfer of federal public lands, eliminating a required estimate of lost revenues and calculation of costs when ceding control to other governmental entities. The provision is praised by fiscal conservatives, ranchers, lumber companies, the oil/gas industry, and…


State Governments ‘Weakest Link’ in Protecting America From ‘Enemy’ Cyberattacks

United States federal agencies and the Pentagon over the last decade have imposed a matrix of restrictions on purchasing technology from companies owned or influenced by China’s ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP), but few of the nation’s 50 states have taken similar precautions. In fact, many state governments apparently aren’t aware—or haven’t publicly acknowledged—how potentially…