Events
January
January 3 – 116th United States Congress begins with Democratic Party taking over the House of Representatives, while the Republican party retaining its majority during the last two years of Trump's first presidency. Former Speaker and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) was elected speaker again for the second time. January 25 – The 2018–2019 United States federal government shutdown ends after 35 days with Democrats taking over the House.
February March April May June July August
September September 27 – A report from The Washington Post demonstrated that hackers can easily get into voting machines designed for use in the 2020 elections.
October November November 26 Members of the Senate Committee on Commerce announced sweeping new proposals for federal laws to protect online privacy.Federal vs. State Data Privacy Laws Debate Continues:Senate committees discuss federal proposals for protecting consumers' data. 12/5/2019, ACA International website.A federal privacy law is starting to crystallize, but Democrats and Republicans can't agree on how to do it DEC 4 2019, by Lauren Feiner, CNBC.Democrats propose sweeping new online privacy laws to rein in tech giants: Bill comes after a series of scandals, including Cambridge Analytica, that exposed personal data of millions of consumers, by Dominic Rushe in New York, 26 Nov 2019, The Guardian website.Senate Democrats reveal new digital privacy bill that would strengthen the FTC's enforcement powers over tech companies NOV 26 2019, by Lauren Feiner, CNBC.Consumers 'demand' data privacy: GOP senator by Jessica Smith, Yahoo Finance, December 4, 2019. The US government imposed strict controls on US companies as to their ability to do business with Huawei, thus disrupting sales of Huawei phones overseas.Huawei: Trouble overseas but boom time in China By Danny Vincent, BBC News, Hong Kong, 26 November 2019.
December December 4 In December 2019, Republican members of the House Education and Labor Committee said they were seeking to offer a new solution to surprise medical billing that would be more provider-friendly.House lawmakers may revive provider-friendly surprise billing proposal by RACHEL COHRS, December 4, 2019. December 5 Huawei submitted a petition in the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit against the FCC's decision to prohibit rural U.S. network providers from using equipment from the China-based vendor due to national security concerns, asking that the recent FCC order be overturned.Huawei Slams FCC With Legal Appeal, by Dan Meyer | Editor-in-Chief, December 5, 2019, sdxcentral.com. December 6 The U.S. unemployment rate dropped to 3.5%, the lowest in 50 years. Kansas City, Missouri became the first city in the U.S. to approve free public transportation.'Now Let's Do This Everywhere': Kansas City, Missouri Approves Free Public Transit for All Julia Conley, Common Dreams, Dec 6, 2019. The House of Representatives voted 228–187 to restore parts of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.The House has passed a bill to restore key parts of the Voting Rights Act By Ella Nilsenella, Vox, Dec 6, 2019 House Passes Bill to Restore Key Parts of Voting Rights Act MATTHEW DALY, AP/Time, DECEMBER 6, 2019. President Trump threatened to veto if the bill is approved by the Senate.Trump WH threatens to veto restored Voting Rights Act MSNBC, Dec 6, 2019. December 16 New deal announced regarding US-China trade dispute.Investors react to initial US-China trade deal Julia Horowitz, By Julia Horowitz, CNN Business, Mon December 16, 2019. December 17 Congress was ready to enact major spending bill, which Trump expects to sign. this is needed to avert government shutdown.Trump plans to sign spending bill to avoid government shutdown, White House's Conway says.PUBLISHED TUE, DEC 17 by Jacob Pramuk. December 30 – President Trump signed the Debbie Smith Reauthorization Act to help eliminate the number of rape kits needing testing that are currently stalled in backlog.Trump signs bill to eliminate rape kit testing backlog By JUSTINE COLEMAN, The Hill, Jan 1, 2020. December 31 – Hundreds of protesters threw stones and set fires at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq in response to a December 27 bombing of Iranian-backed militias that left 25 dead.Why The U.S. Embassy In Iraq Became A Target Of Anger Again Greg Myre, NPR News, Jan 1, 2020. Trump blamed Iran for the embassy attackTrump blames Iran for attack on U.S. embassy compound in Baghdad By QUINT FORGEY, Politico, Dec 31, 2019. and deployed 750 troops to Baghdad.US deploys 750 troops to Middle East after Baghdad embassy attack Al Jazeera, Dec 31, 2019.
History by government agency Note: This section is provided for updates by government body or agency in narrative format, if desired.
EPA In December 2019, the EPA announced that it will seek to address concerns emphasized by American farmers over new rules for blending biofuels.EPA chief says addressing biofuel industry concerns over blending mandates: source, by Stephanie Kelly, Jarrett Renshaw, December 5, 2019.
Education Department
In December 2019, consumer advocates sued the U.S. Department of Education and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, alleging that these government agencies had failed to protect student loan borrowers. The lawsuit provides an overview of the alleged problems. The U.S. Department of Education is the biggest player in the student loan world, handling hundreds of billions of dollars in federal student loan debt. Rather than managing this sprawling portfolio itself, however, the department outsources operations to several large servicing companies.New Lawsuit Says The Government Has Failed Student Loan Borrowers by Adam S. Minsky, Esq., forbes.com
Large student loan servicing firms such as Navient, FedLoan Servicing have been faced with allegations of violations of consumer protection statutes. But the Department of Education has largely not addressed these issues, and has omitted to oversee its servicers (who receive billions from taxpayers).
FCC On December 12 the Federal Communications Commission approved a proposal to designate 988 as the hotline phone number of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
FDA In late December, the Food and Drug Administration raised the legal age for tobacco products, e-cigarettes, and vaping cartridges from 18 to 21.
Justice Department A redacted version of the Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election was published on July 21. The report looks at not only Russian interference into the election but also alleged obstruction of justice by President Trump.Read and search the full Mueller report CNN Politics, July 21, 2019.
The death penalty for federal crimes was reinstated in July. The last federal execution was that of Louis Jones Jr. in 2003. There are currently five prisoners on death row.The Federal Government Plans to Revive the Death Penalty After 16 Years Chip Brownlee, Slate, July 25, 2019. In December, the Supreme Court put the executions on hold.Supreme Court blocks Justice Department from restarting federal executions next week By Ariane de Vogue and David Shortell, CNN, Dec 7, 2019.
History by issue Note: This section is provided for issue-based overviews in narrative format, if desired.
Climate change In December 2019, the World Meteorological Organization released its annual climate report revealing that climate impacts are worsening.Climate Change Is Accelerating, Bringing World 'Dangerously Close' to Irreversible Change, By Henry Fountain, Dec. 4, 2019, NY Times. They found the global sea temperatures are rising as well as land temperatures worldwide. 2019 is the last year in a decade that is the warmest on record.2019 Ends Warmest Decade On Record, State Of The Global Climate Report Warns, iflscience.com
Global carbon emissions hit a record high in 2019, even though the rate of increase slowed somewhat, according to a report from Global Carbon Project.Global carbon emissions growth slows, but hits record high, December 3, 2019, Stanford University via phys.org.
Banking and finance In the first half of 2019, global debt levels reached a record high of $250 trillion, led by the US and China.Global debt surged to a record $250 trillion in the first half of 2019, led by the US and China, NOV 15 2019, Spriha Srivastava. The IMF warned about corporate debt. The European Central Bank raised concerns as well.45.6% Of Eurozone's Corporate Debt Is BBB, POSTED BY: THE CORNER 23RD NOVEMBER 2019. There were concerns about economic conditions in the EU due to high rates of debt in France, Italy and Spain.EU concerned over France, Italy and Spain debts By Beatriz Rios | EURACTIV.com Nov 21, 2019.
Foreign policy Yemen conflict In April 2019, Trump vetoed a bipartisan bill which would have ended US support for the Saudi-led military intervention. With 53 votes instead of the 67 needed, the United States Senate failed to override the veto. The legal arguments and policies of the Obama administration were cited as justification for the veto. The US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Michael Mulroy stated that US support was limited to side-by-side coaching to mitigate civilian casualties and if the measure had passed it would do nothing to help the people of Yemen and may only increase civilian deaths. Mulroy supported the United Nations' peace talks and he pushed the international community to come together and chart a comprehensive way ahead for Yemen. Writing in The Nation, Mohamad Bazzi argued that Mulroy's defence of US support as necessary to limit civilian casualties was false, and that "Saudi leaders and their allies have ignored American entreaties to minimize civilian casualties since the war's early days".
World trade US-China Trade Dispute A trade dispute between the US and China caused economic concerns worldwide. In December 2019, various US officials said a trade deal was likely before a proposed round of new tariffs took effect on December 15, 2019.US, China trade deal expected before tariff increase: Report. Trump's 'off the cuff' comments not a sign talks are at an impasse. foxnews.com US tariffs had a negative effect on China's economy, which slowed to growth of 6%. In December 2019, new deal was announced regarding US-China trade dispute.
United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement The United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement is a signed but not ratified free trade agreement between Canada, Mexico, and the United States. The Agreement is the result of a 2017–2018 renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) by its member states. Negotiations "focused largely on auto exports, steel and aluminum tariffs, and the dairy, egg, and poultry markets." One provision "prevents any party from passing laws that restrict the cross-border flow of data". Compared to NAFTA, USMCA increases environmental and labour regulations, and incentivizes more domestic production of cars and trucks.|url= The agreement also provides updated intellectual property protections, gives the United States more access to Canada's dairy market, imposes a quota for Canadian and Mexican automotive production, and increases the duty free limit for Canadians who buy U.S. goods online from $20 to $150.
Technology