Welcome to the weekend! Below is this week's lineup of political events in the federal government. Don't forget that you can read more by clicking the button below! 

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White House releases guidance for reopening state and local economies

• On Wednesday evening, the White House released the Guidelines for Opening Up America Again, offering guidance to state and local officials on a three-phase approach to reopening their economies. According to the document, the economic reopening can take place at either the state or county level based on an individual governor's discretion.

• The plan has three phases beginning with restaurants, places of worship, movie theaters, and select other businesses opening if they observe social distancing practices. In the second phase, schools can open and nonessential travel can resume. In the third phase, large public venues can operate as normal with limited social distancing rules and senior care facilities and hospitals can allow visitors.

• Ballotpedia is providing comprehensive coverage on how the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is affecting America's political and civic life. Our coverage includes how federal, state, and local governments are responding, and the effects those responses are having on campaigns and elections.

Obama, Sanders endorse Biden 

• On Tuesday, former President Barack Obama endorsed Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election. He said Biden had the leadership required to handle the coronavirus pandemic. Obama also acknowledged Sen. Bernie Sanders in the clip and said the country needed real structural change.

• The endorsement followed one from Sen. Bernie Sanders (Vt.) April 13.  "We need you in the White House. And I will do all that I can to see that that happens," Sanders said to Biden. They agreed to form six working groups on the economy, education, criminal justice, immigration, climate change, and health care. Sanders suspended his presidential campaign last week.

Biden, Trump win Wisconsin presidential primaries

• Former Vice President Joe Biden (D) won the Wisconsin Democratic primary with approximately 63% of the vote. Biden now has an estimated 1,293 pledged delegates, roughly 700 delegates away from clinching the Democratic nomination.

• The primary was held on April 7 after weeks of debate among state leaders over whether to postpone the election or adjust election procedure in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Absentee ballots were required to be postmarked by April 7 and received by April 13, leading to the delay in reporting the results.

• President Donald Trump (R) won the Republican primary with approximately 98% of the vote. He will receive all 52 of the state’s delegates.

Biden wins Alaska’s Democratic presidential primary

• Former Vice President Joe Biden won the Alaska Democratic primary, which was moved from April 4 to April 10 and made a vote-by-mail election. The results were announced on Saturday. More than 71,000 ballots were sent to registered Democrats; more than 19,000 were returned on time. This was double the participation the 2016 caucus saw.

Louisiana postpones presidential preference primary to July 11

• On Tuesday, Governor John Bel Edwards (D) issued Proclamation Number 46 JBE2020, postponing Louisiana's presidential preference primary election to July 11. The primary, originally scheduled to take place on April 4, had initially been postponed to June 20.

• Louisiana is one of 19 states that have postponed primary or special elections for federal office in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. 

  • Alabama: Primary runoff postponed to July 14.

  • Connecticut: Presidential preference primary postponed to June 2.

  • Delaware: Presidential preference primary postponed to June 2. 

  • Georgia: Statewide and presidential preference primaries postponed to June 9; primary runoff postponed to August 11.

  • Indiana: Primary postponed to June 2.

  • Kentucky: Primary postponed to June 23.

  • Louisiana: Presidential preference primary postponed to July 11.

  • Maine: Primary postponed to July 14.

  • Maryland: Primary postponed to June 2.

  • Mississippi: Republican primary runoff for 2nd Congressional District postponed to June 23.

  • New Jersey: Primary postponed to July 7.

  • New York: Presidential preference primary postponed to June 23; special election for 27th Congressional District postponed to June 23.

  • North Carolina: Republican primary runoff for 11th Congressional District postponed to June 23.

  • Ohio: Absentee voting in the state's primary extended to April 27; final date for in-person voting, restricted to individuals with disabilities and those without home mailing addresses, set for April 28.

  • Pennsylvania: Primary postponed to June 2.

  • Rhode Island: Presidential preference primary postponed to June 2.

  • Texas: Primary runoff postponed to July 14.

  • Virginia: Primary postponed to June 23.

  • West Virginia: Primary postponed to June 9.

SCOTUS releases teleconference schedule for hearing oral arguments in May 

• The U.S. Supreme Court released its May argument calendar for the 2019-2020 term. The court will hear oral arguments via telephone conference and live stream the argument audio to the public in 13 previously postponed cases. This will be the first time the court has heard oral arguments via teleconference and the first time it will live stream argument audio in its history. 

• The cases were originally scheduled for the court's March and April sittings. Those sittings were postponed in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The court closed to the public indefinitely on March 12 due to the pandemic.

• The court agreed to hear 73 cases during its 2019-2020 term. Thirteen of those cases have yet to be scheduled. As of April 16, decisions in 20 have been issued. Between 2007 and 2018, SCOTUS released opinions in 850 cases, averaging between 70 and 90 cases per year.

• The cases scheduled for argument during the May sitting are:

  • May 4, 2020

    • United States Patent and Trademark Office v. Booking.com B.V.

  • May 5, 2020

    • USAID v. Alliance for Open Society International

  • May 6, 2020

    • Little Sisters of the Poor Saints Peter and Paul Home v. Pennsylvania (Consolidated with Trump v. Pennsylvania)

    • Barr v. American Association of Political Consultants Inc.

  • May 11, 2020

    • McGirt v. Oklahoma

    • Our Lady of Guadalupe School v. Morrissey-Berru (Consolidated with St. James School v. Biel)

  • May 12, 2020

    • Trump v. Mazars USA (Consolidated with Trump v. Deutsche Bank AG)

    • Trump v. Vance

  • May 13, 2020

    • Chiafalo v. Washington (Consolidated with Colorado Department of State v. Baca)

Candidate filing period for congressional races to end in Michigan and Florida

• The statewide filing deadlines to run for congressional offices in Michigan and Florida are approaching. Michigan’s deadline is on April 21, and Florida’s deadline is on April 26.

• Prospective candidates in Michigan may file for the following congressional offices:

  • U.S. Senate: The Class II Senate seat currently held by Gary Peters (D) is up for election.

  • U.S House: All 14 of Michigan’s U.S. House seats are up for election.

• Prospective candidates in Florida may file for the following congressional offices:

  • U.S. House: All 27 of the state’s seats are up for election.

  • No U.S. Senate seat is up for election. 

• Michigan’s primary is scheduled for August 4 and Florida’s primary is scheduled for August 18. The general elections in both states are scheduled for November 3, 2020.

• Michigan’s filing deadline is the 35th and Florida’s deadline is the 36th to take place in the 2020 election cycle. The next statewide filing deadline is in Massachusetts on May 5, which is the deadline for candidates to file with local election officials.

Congress announces it won’t reconvene until May 4

• Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) each separately announced that their respective chambers would not reconvene until May 4. Prior to the announcement, each group was scheduled to reconvene April 20. Both leaders cited concerns over coronavirus as reasons for the extended recess.

• Leaders in both chambers have discussed the possibility of a fourth coronavirus relief package. Congressional rules require members to be physically present in order to vote, though lawmakers could return early in case of an emergency.

Is Congress in session?

Where was the president last week?

• On Monday, Trump had lunch with the Vice President.

• On Tuesday, Trump participated in meetings with recovered COVID-19 patients and healthcare executives.

• On Wednesday, Trump hosted four phone calls in response to the COVID-19 pandemic with industry leaders in a wide range of economic sectors. 

• On Thursday, Trump participated in video teleconferences with G7 leaders and U.S. governors on coordinated action in response to COVID-19. 

• On Friday, Trump hosted a phone call with faith leaders on economic revival in the U.S.

Federal Judiciary

• 81 federal judicial vacancies

• 42 pending nominations

• 7 future federal judicial vacancies

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