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The article reports on why billionaire donors do not need lobbyists to access the U.S. Congress. Topics include the investment made by billionaires in supporting federal candidates and super political action committees, the goal of donors to shift the agenda in Washington before anybody crafts a bill or drops a bill, and the biggest donors in the 2012 and 2014 election cycles including investment firm Farallon Capital and distributing company Richard & Elizabeth Uihlein.

The article takes a look at the new careers and pre-occupations of former members of the U.S. Congress. It notes that 64 lawmakers left Congress on January 3, 2015 to pursue careers as lawyers, consultants, lobbyists or be in semi-retirement status. It cites that former U.S. Senator Mark Pryor has joined law firm Venable LLP, while former U.S. Congressman Saxby Chambliss is employed at the DLA Piper global law firm.

The article offers information on an announcement made by New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman regarding an investigation which revealed that four out of five herbal products sold at major retailers such as Walgreens and Wal-Mart didn't contain the ingredients listed on their labels, but were instead made of cheap fillers such as powdered radish. It informs that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued warnings about an amphetamine-like stimulant contained in diet supplements.

The article reports on the emergence of a new arms race in outer space as of May 2015 and considers this development as an updated reprisal of a contest that began during the Cold War. Topics include the move of Russia and China to step-up anti-satellite weapons testing, the U.S.' military response to boost spending to protect satellites, and the challenges created by the gathering tension for the U.S. Congress and the U.S. Pentagon including the chances of military conflict. INSET: Trashing Space.

The article focuses on the curious reversals and allegiances that define the politics of criminal justice at the present time. In the U.S. Congress, strange partners are creating bills to ease the social and economic toll of incarceration. The minimum prison sentences enacted with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986 are blamed for a mass incarceration mess. Prisons have become overcrowded over the years and government budgets are stretched to the limit.

The article focuses on the Senate voting where U.S. Senate President Barack Obama succeeded 93.1% of the time in terms of policy votes. Topics discussed include a review of leading scorers for presidential support and how often a senator supports the position of a president from the same party, the partisanship of every Democrat in the Senate in 2014 and plans of Senate majority leader Republican Mitch McConnell to allow more votes on policy issues that will potentially mix up voting patterns.

The article presents a guide to various U.S. Congress legislative committees in 2015. Topics discussed include jurisdiction of the House Panel on Agriculture on seed adulteration and pest control and the revenue appropriation presided by the House of Appropriations, Interstate commerce presided by the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation panel and the national energy policy oversight of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources.

The article discusses the implications of the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court on King v. Burwell, that challenges the phrase, an exchange established by the state, in section 36(B) of Affordable Care Act (ACA). Topics discussed include decision in favor of plaintiffs will result in millions of Americans losing their health insurance, Supreme Court to decide if intent of Congress is clear based on the law text, and focus on Chief Justice John G. Roberts Junior and Justice Anthony M. Kennedy.

The article discusses developments in the political consulting industry in the U.S. as of February 2015. According to organization Take Back Our Republic chairperson Mark McKinnon, political spending has exponentially increased and there is no oversight. Members of the American Association of Political Consultants, however, signed a code of ethics banning the misspending of client funds. The comment by Sheila Krumholz of the Center for Responsive Politics on the topic is also cited.

The article features the members of the 114th U.S. Congress. In the U.S. Senate, the new senators include Republicans Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Cory Gardner of Colorado, and David Perdue of Georgia. In the House of Representatives, the neophyte representatives include Democrat Ruben Gallego of Arizona, Republican Gary Palmer of Alabama, and Republican Bruce Westerman of Arkansas.

Provides information on activities of members of the United States (US) House of Congress. Appointment of John C. Danforth, a lawyer and an Episcopal priest, to probe the (US) Federal Bureau of Investigation; Speculation on the political move of United States (US) Senators John McCain and Russel D. Feingold; List of possible chairperson of top committees in the US House of Representatives.

Discusses the disagreements among United States Senators over state pre-emption and patient consent issues in bills proposed to protect medical records. Information on the privacy bills introduced; Arguments of supporters and opponents of the bills; Impact of the bills on law enforcement; Possible consequence of not approving the bill by August 21, 1999.

The article reports that envelope makers won their battle against the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama to resume Social Security Administration's periodic mailings of annual and personalized benefit statements in 2014.

The article reports on the move of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) to continue using the acronym to promote the group despite criticisms and oppositions raised by liberal activists in the U.S. in 2012.

The article discusses the possibility of deteriorating relations between the U.S. and Russia affecting collaboration and cooperation among the eight Arctic countries that include Denmark, Finland and Iceland, and deficiencies in Arctic policy of the U.S. Topics discussed include growing military presence of Russia in the Arctic, wait-and-see approach of the U.S. on Arctic region, and fiscal 2015 defense spending bill requiring Defense Department to provide plans for icebreaker ships purchase. INSET: Population Advantage.

The article offers information on various regulations related to technology industry in Silicon Valley, California. Among the key concerns faced by the industry include tax policies, immigration, and regulatory policies. Also mentioned the role of the National Security Agency and Department of Justice for the communications and internet firms.

The article examines the inquest by the U.S. House into the 2012 terrorist attack of U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya. Topics discussed include the House special committee headed by South Carolina Republican Trey Gowdy, and the hope of House Speaker John A. Boehner to revive Congress' potent power of oversight. Also mentioned are the comment on congressional investigations by Professor Paul Light in his book "Government by Investigations," and the Republican focus on finding someone to blame.

The article discusses how the Internal Revenue Service's new laws and data sharing with foreign governments are reducing the familiar methods of tax evasion in the U.S. Topics covered include tax evasion through private banking, the tax gap recorded by the IRS for the 2006 tax year, and the history of hiding money in undeclared Swiss bank accounts. INSETS: IRS Efforts Tightened Over Several Decades;A Long Year For Tax Bills.

The article focuses on issues in relation to the U.S. foreign policy. It highlights issues related to the U.S.-Europe alliance as well as the National Security Agency (NSA) scandal and Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula. The move of U.S. President Barack Obama to renew the country's commitment to the European Union is mentioned.

The article offers information on the complete U.S. House and Senate rosters of the second session of the 113th Congress. The House committees include the House Appropriations, the House Financial Services and the House Select Intelligence. The Senate committees, however, include the Senate Armed Services, the Senate Foreign Relations and the Senate Judiciary.

The article discusses the emergence of for-profit limited liability companies (LLC) as a vehicle of choice among U.S. candidates for raising political cash as the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) prepares to curb politically active social-welfare groups. It notes the Republican Party organizers' operation of their own tracking operation called America Rising as an LLC. It also describes how LLCs can help parties or candidates avoid disclosure and campaign finance rules and corporate taxes.

The article discusses the changes in the U.S. Senate committee proceedings. Topics covered include the Senate's two-hour rule and 2 pm cutoff, the use of prescribed debate time on nominations and nuclear option. Also mentioned are the obstructionist tactics Republicans may employ, precedent on the filibuster rule, and the use of the maximum amount of post-cloture time.

The article focuses on issues concerning the U.S. military's partnership with foreign security assistance as of December 16, 2013. Andrew Shapiro, the State Department's assistant secretary for political-military affairs, says the aid delayed to Egypt was a foreign policy decision. The Leahy law, sponsored by Senator Patrick J. Leahy, that bars military assistance to any foreign unit complicit in human rights violations is also highlighted.

This article discusses a report from the U.S. House Intelligence Committee which concludes that Chinese telecommunication network firm Huawei Technologies and equipment maker ZTE cannot be trusted to be free of foreign state influence and that they pose a security to the country and the systems.

This article discusses issues concerning the phasing out of the U.S. dollar bill over four years in favor of a new coin, as initiated by Republican Senator Michael B. Enzi of Wyoming.

The article announces career moves in the energy lobbying industry in the U.S. including the hiring of Drew Maloney as view president for government affairs and public policy at energy firm Hess Corp., and appointment of Derek Murrow as federal energy policy director of Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).

The article focuses on the comprehensive bill introduced by California Democrat Howard L. Berman in 2012, which is a full rewrite of the 1961 law governing U.S. foreign assistance programs.

The article focuses on the benefits of nonpartisan politics in local elections in the U.S., which according to National League of Cities executive director includes helping city leaders make hard decisions easily especially in tough economic climate.

The article reports that rising Republican Party star Derek Khanna found himself jobless after writing the memorandum "Three myths about Copywright Law and Where to Start to Fix it," in which he questioned the long-standing allegiance of the U.S. Congress to copyright holders.

The article announces the appointment of Bob Brinkmann and Art Sackler to the postal-affairs office of the law firm Ford and Huff, Joshua Soven as a partner of Gibson, Dunn and Crutcher, and Larry Gage to Alston and Bird.

The article announces the appointment of Gary L. Goldsholle as general counsel of the U.S. Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board.

The article reports that Republican legislators are proposing a cutback on the U.S. food stamp program. The proposal is expected to involve a forty-million-dollar cut to the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program. The move is expected to open another debate on the issue of dealing with poverty in the country. Republican representative Marlin Stutzman states that able-bodied adults without children who are on food stamps diminish the value that may be given to those who need the help.

The article discusses plans of the U.S. Federal Reserve System to withdraw its monetary stimulus to achieve economic recovery. It describes previous counterbalancing efforts launched by the central banking system as stock and bond prices continue to decline. It presents outlook for national budget deficit issued by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). Brief details relating to the economic stimulus, fiscal contraction, and budget deficit reduction measures are also offered.

The article discusses the concerns raised about the enthusiasm of the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama for the Common Core State Standards Initiative as of 2013. Critics of the initiative argued that the standards is an attempt by the government to force a nationwide curriculum on the states. Race to the Top is a 4.35 billion dollar competition created by the government in 2010 that awards money to the states with the best proposal to upend their public education systems. INSET: Development of Common Core.

The article discusses the overhaul of the U.S. immigration law as U.S. Chamber of Commerce president Thomas J. Donohue, business leaders, local officials and labor organizers join President Barack Obama's pro-immigration press event at the White House in June 2013. Donohue, an outspoken critic of the President, stresses how desperately the chamber and its allies want a new immigration system. It also notes NumbersUSA president Roy Beck's opposition to boosting immigration.

The article discusses the impact of the revelations in 2013 that the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) has been collecting the telephone and Internet data of citizens to prevent terrorism. The disclosures are said to have given privacy and civil-liberties advocates an opportunity to expand their opposition to aspects of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) and the Patriot Act. It also explores the effect of the issue on lawmakers in Congress. INSETS: Nuanced Public Response to Surveillance;Disclosures Add To Security Debate;What Is Known About NSA Surveillance.

The article discusses U.S. employers' launch of health and wellness programs to address rising health costs and improve the resiliency of their workforce. It considers issues concerning the selection of the appropriate programs that would produce the best results. It also mentions that more than half of Americans are receiving health benefits through an employer.

The article investigates how unfettered spending by rival groups such as the super political action committees (PACs) is amplifying fractious in-fighting over the future of the U.S. Republican Party. It speculates that the lack of success of the Republicans in the 2012 elections has triggered a surge in the formation of groups that are calling for new ideas for the party. The article also argues that the rise of the super PACs will change the balance of power within the Republican Party.

The article discusses how Republicans and Democrats have agreed on the need to streamline the U.S. tax system. According to the author, Michigan Republican Dave Camp proposed to change the way that bondholders are taxed if they buy their securities at a discount. The author notes that an overhaul of the tax code could involve restricting or eliminating fiercely defended tax breaks such as the mortgage interest deduction.

The article discusses the need for the U.S. Army to clearly define its mission as it faces budget cuts in 2013. It considers the threat posed by the U.S. fiscal crisis on the Army's manpower, training and modernization plans. The Army is expected to reduce its force from about 552,000 in 2013 to 490,000 by 2017. The administration of U.S. President Barack Obama plans to reduce the country's defense spending by about 400 billion dollars over 10 years.

The article focuses on the lack of strategy in U.S. health care policy for dealing with the long-term needs of the elderly and those with disabilities. It predicts that the problem will accelerate as a national crisis with 80 million baby boomers moving beyond the healthy years of early retirement and growing frail and ill. It explains why Medicaid is the long-term-care system's safety net based on some provisions of the 2010 health care law. INSETS: Mandatory Care Provided in Japan, Germany;Unfulfilled Dream.

The article contends that reasonably good policy decisions made by the U.S. have put it on a better economic path than may have been predicted. Since 2008, the U.S. Congress and the White House reportedly have worked to prevent the recession from sinking into a depression. They have also engaged in the task of winding down stimulus programs. In addition, they have allegedly taken steps to reduce the long-term budget deficit.

The article reports on the concern of civil rights advocates about the risk to the integrity of the Voting Rights Act. A team led by conservative legal activist Edward Blum seeks permission from the Justice Department to make changes to election procedures in localities with racial discrimination history. Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee agree with the proposal of Georgia Republican Lynn Westmoreland to ease preclearance procedures for states.

The article discusses the developments in the U.S. immigration policy. It claims that the increasing voting influence of foreign-born Americans like Asian and Hispanics prompted pro-immigration groups to advance their proposal to allow illegal immigrants to apply for legal residency and citizenship. The opinion of Illinois Democratic Senator Richard J. Durbin on the issue is also cited.

The article offers information on the 27th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which became part of the Constitution on May 20, 1992.

The article reports on WikiOrgCharts, a free interactive map of the federal world launched by technology entrepreneur Farhan Memon in October 2011 which is designed to become a social networking hybrid with LinkedIn-type resume pages.

The article discusses the report by Maryland Democrat Barbara A. Mikulski, chairperson of the U.S. Appropriations subcommittee in charge of Commerce and its Census Bureau, in response to the appropriations which the U.S. Senate passed for the U.S. Commerce Department which include a suggestion that the next U.S. census in 2020 cost less than the 2011 census which cost a record 13 billion U.S. dollars.

The article reports on the concerns by industry advocates with regards to the agreement of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that wood burned for fuel would not be regulated as a hazardous waste and that the EPA is expected to regulate the burning of wood and biomass under a different law, the Clean Air Act, instead.

An interview with Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, vice chairman of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, is presented wherein he talks about supporting the operations of the North American Treaty Organization (NATO) in Libya, stresses that Europe must be strict about applying conditionality to the aid they give in that region, and the distrust of U.S.'s capability to protect data may affect the data sharing plans between the European Union (EU) and the U.S.

The article reports on the plans of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service to update key computer systems in January 2012 to software developed in the late 1970s and eventually to Java, a more modern programming language, with a proposed budget of 330 million U.S. dollars.