Today Covington released an updated version of its manual for Chiefs of Staff to Members of Congress concerning best practices for responding to government investigations of Members and their staff.  Titled “A How-To Guide for Chiefs of Staff,” the manual describes how government investigations of Members and staff unfold and

…
Continue Reading Covington Releases Investigations Manual for House and Senate Chiefs of Staff

Reconciliation is a process under the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (CBA) that allows Congress to implement budget priorities affecting direct spending, revenues, and the debt limit using expedited procedures.  The principal benefit to using reconciliation is that a reconciliation bill cannot be filibustered in the Senate.  As a result,…
Continue Reading The Byrd Rule and Its Impact on Reconciliation

Next week will be plenary week in the European Parliament.  Members of the European Parliament (“MEPs”) will gather virtually and in person in Brussels.  Several interesting votes and debates are scheduled to take place.

On Monday, MEPs will debate and vote (Tuesday) on a report on strengthening the EU’s capabilities …
Continue Reading The Week Ahead in the European Parliament – Friday, January 15, 2021

On January 4, 2021, the narrowed Democratic majority in the House of Representatives passed, in a party-line vote, a set of rules governing the House for the 117th Congress.  While the House, unlike the Senate, has to approve its rules every Congress, the rules stay generally consistent from Congress-to-Congress, with…
Continue Reading Key Changes to House Rules for the 117th Congress

On 17 December 2020, the Council of Europe’s* Ad hoc Committee on Artificial Intelligence (CAHAI) published a Feasibility Study (the “Study”) on Artificial Intelligence (AI) legal standards. The Study examines the feasibility and potential elements of a legal framework for the development and deployment of AI, based on the Council

…
Continue Reading AI Update: The Council of Europe Publishes Feasibility Study on Developing a Legal Instrument for Ethical AI

After the election of two Democratic Senate candidates in the Georgia runoff elections on January 5, 2021, the Senate this year will be equally divided between 50 Democratic Senators (and those caucusing with them) and 50 Republican Senators. Governing in an equally divided Senate presents several challenges regarding the internal…
Continue Reading Governing Under an Equally Divided Senate

As the recent SolarWinds Orion attack makes clear, cybersecurity will be a focus in the coming years for both governmental and non-governmental entities alike.  In the federal contracting community, it has long been predicted that the government’s increased cybersecurity requirements will eventually lead to a corresponding increase in False Claims

…
Continue Reading Cybersecurity and Government Contracting: False Claims Act Considerations

Next week, Members of the European Parliament (“MEPs”) will gather virtually and in person in Brussels for committee meetings.  Several interesting votes and debates are scheduled to take place.

On Monday, the Committee on International Trade (“INTA”) is the first Committee to debate on the merits of the EU-UK Trade …
Continue Reading The Week Ahead in the European Parliament – Friday, January 8, 2021

On Friday, January 1, 2021, the Senate voted to override President Trump’s veto of the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (“2021 NDAA”) by a vote of 81 -13.  The Senate’s override follows the House of Representatives’ override on December 28, 2020, and the 2021 NDAA is now law.

Included in…
Continue Reading New Information Reporting on Beneficial Owners Included in 2021 NDAA