Two Texas congressmen announce they won’t seek re-election
------------------------------------------------------------

[link removed] [blank]
------------------------------------------------------------

[link removed]

Thanks for joining us on this Saturday morning! With stories on the presidential race, Congress, and the administration, let's get to this week's federal news.

Read the full Tap online ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------


** DEMOCRATS HOLD SECOND PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE OVER TWO NIGHTS
------------------------------------------------------------

* On July 31, the second set of 10 Democratic presidential candidates participated in the second debate ([link removed]) of the 2020 presidential campaign in Detroit. The participants, in alphabetical order, were: Michael Bennet, Joe Biden, Bill de Blasio, Cory Booker, Julián Castro, Tulsi Gabbard, Kirsten Gillibrand, Kamala Harris, Jay Inslee, and Andrew Yang.

* The candidates primarily discussed healthcare, pharmaceutical costs, immigration, and criminal justice.
* For an overview of the debate, including candidate highlights and participation numbers, click here ([link removed]) .

* This followed the debate among the first group of 10 Democratic presidential candidates on Tuesday, July 30. Those participants, in alphabetical order, were: Steve Bullock, Pete Buttigieg, John Delaney, John Hickenlooper, Amy Klobuchar, Beto O'Rourke, Tim Ryan, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and Marianne Williamson.

* The candidates primarily discussed healthcare, student loan debt, immigration, and electability.
* For an overview of the debate, including candidate highlights and participation numbers, click here ([link removed]) .

* Dana Bash, Don Lemon, and Jake Tapper moderated the event, which was hosted by CNN.

------------------------------------------------------------


** TWO TEXAS CONGRESSMEN ANNOUNCE THEY WON’T SEEK RE-ELECTION
------------------------------------------------------------

U.S. Rep. Will Hurd ([link removed]) (R) tweeted that he would not seek re-election to Texas’ 23rd Congressional District. He said that he would instead pursue opportunities outside Congress to solve problems related to technology and national security. Hurd was first elected to Congress in 2014—defeating Democratic incumbent Pete Gallego—and won re-election in 2018 by defeating Gina Ortiz Jones (D), 49.2% to 48.7%.

* Hurd’s statement follows Tuesday’s announcement by U.S. Rep. Mike Conaway ([link removed]) (R) that he would also not run for re-election in 2020. Conaway was first elected to Congress in 2004 and was re-elected to represent Texas' 11th Congressional District in 2018 with more than 80 percent of the vote.
* So far 13 members of the U.S. House—10 Republicans and three Democrats—have said they are not running for re-election ([link removed]) . Democrats currently hold a 235-198 majority in the U.S. House with two seats vacant. Three of the retiring Republicans are from Texas’ delegation.

------------------------------------------------------------


** TRUMP SIGNS BUDGET DEAL INCREASING SPENDING LIMITS AND SUSPENDING DEBT LIMIT
------------------------------------------------------------

On August 2, President Trump signed the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2019. The bill increases discretionary spending limits for defense and nondefense spending for the next two fiscal years and suspends the public debt limit through July 31, 2021.

* The legislation passed the House on July 25 by a vote of 284-149, with 219 Democrats and 65 Republicans voting in favor and 132 Republicans, 16 Democrats, and one Independent voting against.
* The Senate passed the bill by a vote of 67-28 on August 1. Thirty-seven Democrats, 29 Republicans, and one Independent voted in favor and 23 Republicans and 5 Democrats voted against.

[link removed]
------------------------------------------------------------


** SATELLITE SPENDING PICKS UP AHEAD OF SEPTEMBER’S NC-09 SPECIAL ELECTION
------------------------------------------------------------

The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) released a TV ad opposing North Carolina's 9th District Democratic candidate Dan McCready. The group has reserved $2.6 million in airtime in the district, where a special election ([link removed]) will be held September 10.

* Last week, Club for Growth Action also released an ad opposing McCready. The group has spent $147,000 and announced it would spend another $412,000 for the special election. The Congressional Leadership Fund, a Republican super PAC, has committed $1.2 million to television ad reservations.
* Groups affiliated with the Environmental Defense Fund spent $600,000 on ads supporting McCready and opposing Republican candidate Dan Bishop in July.
* The McCready and Bishop campaigns also released television ads this week on prescription drug costs and education.

------------------------------------------------------------


** CRAFT CONFIRMED AS U.N. AMBASSADOR
------------------------------------------------------------

Kelly Knight Craft ([link removed]) was confirmed as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations by a U.S. Senate vote of 56-34. President Trump formally nominated her to the position on May 2.

* Prior to her appointment as U.N. Ambassador, Craft served as the U.S. Ambassador to Canada since 2017. She was the co-chair of the finance committee for Sen. Mitt Romney’s 2012 presidential campaign in Kentucky.
* The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations is responsible for assisting the President of the United States and the U.S. Department of State in conducting U.S. policy at the United Nations

------------------------------------------------------------


** BIDEN LED DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES IN BALLOTPEDIA PAGEVIEWS LAST WEEK
------------------------------------------------------------

Each week, we report the number of pageviews ([link removed]) received by 2020 presidential campaigns on Ballotpedia. These numbers show which candidates are getting our readers' attention.

* Joe Biden's campaign page on Ballotpedia received 3,185 pageviews for the week of July 21-27, which represents 9.5% of the pageviews for all Democratic candidates during the week. Kamala Harris had 8.3% of the Democratic campaign pageviews for the week while Elizabeth Warren had 6.8%.
* Every Democratic campaign's pageviews decreased by 8% or more relative to the week of July 14-20. Tulsi Gabbard's 8.0% was the smallest decrease among all Democratic candidates, followed by Jay Inslee's 9.3% decrease and Tim Ryan's 11.0% decrease.
* Last week, Harris surpassed Andrew Yang in pageviews this year with 78,429 pageviews to Yang's 78,004. The only Democratic campaign page with more views than Harris' is Pete Buttigieg's page, which has recorded 92,483 views since launch.
* On the GOP side, former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld had 7,900 pageviews to President Trump's 1,095.

[link removed]
------------------------------------------------------------


** SENATE CONFIRMS 13 DISTRICT COURT JUDGES
------------------------------------------------------------

The U.S. Senate confirmed 13 federal judicial nominees this week. Since January 2017, the Senate has confirmed 144 of President Trump’s judicial nominees—99 district court judges, 43 appeals court judges, and two Supreme Court justices.

* Michael Liburdi was confirmed to a seat on the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona. After he receives his judicial commission and takes his judicial oath, the District of Arizona will have:

* Two vacancies, seven judges appointed by Democratic presidents and four appointed by Republican presidents.

* Peter Welte was confirmed to a seat on the U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota. After he receives his judicial commission and takes his judicial oath, the District of North Dakota will have:

* No vacancies and two judges appointed by Republican presidents.

* Sean Jordan was confirmed to a seat on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. After he receives his judicial commission and takes his judicial oath, the Eastern District of Texas will have:

* No vacancies, five judges appointed by Republican presidents and three appointed by Democratic presidents.

* William Shaw Stickman was confirmed to a seat on the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. After he receives his judicial commission and takes his judicial oath, the Western District of Pennsylvania will have:

* Four vacancies, four judges appointed by Republican presidents and two appointed by Democratic presidents.

* Karin J. Immergut was confirmed to a seat on the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon. After she receives her judicial commission and takes her judicial oath, the District of Oregon will have:

* No vacancies, four judges appointed by Democratic presidents and two appointed by Republican presidents.

* John M. Younge was confirmed to a seat on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. After he receives his judicial commission and takes his judicial oath, the Eastern District of Pennsylvania will have:

* Three vacancies, ten judges appointed by Republican presidents and nine appointed by Democratic presidents.

* Jason Pulliam was confirmed to a seat on the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas. After he receives his judicial commission and takes his judicial oath, the Western District of Texas will have:

* No vacancies, nine judges appointed by Republican presidents and four appointed by Democratic presidents.

* Jeff Brown was confirmed to a seat on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas. After he receives his judicial commission and takes his judicial oath, the Southern District of Texas will have:

* Two vacancies, nine judges appointed by Republican presidents and eight appointed by Democratic presidents.

* Martha Pacold and Mary Rowland were confirmed to seats on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. After they receive their judicial commission and take their judicial oath, the Northern District of Illinois will have:

* Three vacancies, fourteen judges appointed by Democratic presidents and five appointed by Republican presidents.

* James Wesley Hendrix, Mark Pittman, and Brantley Starr were confirmed to seats on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. After they receive their judicial commission and take their judicial oath, the Northern District of Texas will have:

* One vacancy, nine judges appointed by Republican presidents and two appointed by Democratic presidents.

------------------------------------------------------------


** IS CONGRESS IN SESSION?
------------------------------------------------------------

Neither the Senate nor the House will be in session next week. Click here ([link removed]) to see the full calendar for the first session of the 116th Congress.

------------------------------------------------------------


** FEDERAL JUDICIARY UPDATE
------------------------------------------------------------

* 123 federal judicial vacancies
* 50 pending nominations
* 10 future federal judicial vacancies

------------------------------------------------------------


** WHERE WAS THE PRESIDENT LAST WEEK?
------------------------------------------------------------

* On Monday, Trump participated in a signing ceremony for H.R. 1327, which authorizes a permanent September 11th victim compensation fund.
* On Tuesday, Trump spoke at the 400th Anniversary of the First Representative Legislative Assembly.
* On Wednesday, Trump met with the President of Mongolia.
* On Thursday, Trump participated in a fundraising committee reception in Cincinnati, Ohio.
* On Friday, Trump made an announcement on EU trade.

BALLOTPEDIA DEPENDS ON THE SUPPORT OF OUR READERS.

The Lucy Burns Institute, publisher of Ballotpedia, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. All donations are tax deductible to the extent of the law. Donations to the Lucy Burns Institute or Ballotpedia do not support any candidates or campaigns.


Click here to support our work ([link removed])

------------------------------------------------------------

============================================================
Decide which emails you want from Ballotpedia.
** Unsubscribe from all emails ( [link removed] )
or ** update your subscription preferences ( [link removed] )
.

Ballotpedia

The Encyclopedia of American Politics

** 8383 Greenway Blvd., Suite 600 ([link removed])

** Middleton, WI 53562 ([link removed])

** [Facebook] ([link removed])



** [Twitter] ([link removed])