February 10

Vance headlines Georgia GOP fundraiser targeting Democratic Senate seat

Vice President JD Vance headlined a Georgia Republican Party fundraiser in Atlanta on Feb. 10, 2026, raising money for the 2026 Senate race challenging Democratic incumbent Sen. Jon Ossoff. Under FEC rules, the vice president may participate in party fundraising without using federal resources as long as events are held off federal property; Georgia's Senate race is among the highest-profile competitive contests of the 2026 cycle.

OPM proposes transferring federal RIF appeals from independent MSPB to OPM

The Office of Personnel Management proposes a rule shifting authority over federal employee reduction-in-force appeals from the independent Merit Systems Protection Board to OPM itself. Critics say the rule eliminates a neutral check on agency firing decisions by placing appeal authority inside the administration that ordered the cuts.

Comment period closes insurers and watchdogs file opposition

The comment period for OPM notice 3206-NEW closed on February 10, 2026. The Association of Federal Health Organizations filed a 122-page opposition comment. CVS Health executive Melissa Schulman submitted comments arguing the request raises substantial HIPAA compliance issues. Civil Service Strong, a Democracy Forward project, argued the ICR violates both HIPAA's minimum necessary standard and the Privacy Act of 1974.

U.S. falls to 29th in Transparency International Corruption Index, lowest score in history

Transparency International released its 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index on February 10, 2026, ranking the United States 29th among 180 countries with a score of 64 out of 100 — the lowest score the US has ever recorded. The ranking represented a continuation of a 12-point decline over the prior decade; the US ranked 16th in 2015 and 15th in 2005. Transparency International cited concerns about bribery, diversion of public funds, judicial independence, and the use of public office for private gain as factors in the decline.

Federal judges dismiss DOJ lawsuits seeking voter rolls in California, Michigan, and Oregon

Federal judges in three states dismissed Justice Department lawsuits seeking unredacted voter registration lists between January and February 2026. U.S. District Judge David O. Carter dismissed a lawsuit in California on January 15, finding the government's request for sensitive information of Californians was "unprecedented and illegal" and would have a "chilling effect" on American citizens. U.S. District Judge Hala Jarbou dismissed a lawsuit in Michigan on February 10, ruling that the Civil Rights Act of 1960, the National Voter Registration Act, and the Help America Vote Act do not allow the United States to obtain the records the DOJ sought. U.S. District Judge Mustafa Kasubhai dismissed a lawsuit in Oregon on January 27, saying the federal government never met the legal standard to get these records. The rulings marked setbacks to the Trump administration's effort to consolidate voter data traditionally held by states.

House rule fails 214-217, opening floor vote to terminate Canada tariffs

On Feb. 10, 2026, the House rejected Speaker Mike Johnson's procedural rule 214-217 that would have blocked congressional votes to disapprove Trump's 25% tariffs on Canadian imports through July 31. Three Republicans — Thomas Massie (KY), Kevin Kiley (CA), and Don Bacon (NE) — voted with all Democrats, marking Johnson's seventh rule failure as Speaker. The next day, the House passed Rep. Gregory Meeks's privileged resolution 219-211 to terminate the national emergency underlying the Canada tariffs, with six Republicans joining all but one Democrat.

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Investigation reveals school security cameras feed ICE immigration enforcement across 100-plus districts

An investigation by The 74 and The Guardian found Flock Safety license plate reader systems installed in more than 100 public school districts feed a shared national database accessible to over 4,800 police agencies, including ICE. Audit logs from six Texas school districts showed 733,000 searches over one month, with immigration-related categories cited 620 times by 30 agencies across Florida, Georgia, Indiana, and Tennessee. School districts were largely unaware their campus camera systems were being queried for immigration enforcement purposes.

Senate blocks CRA resolution to reverse IRS corporate minimum tax guidance, 47-51

The Senate voted 47–51 on February 10, 2026 to block S.J. Res. 95, a Congressional Review Act resolution that would have nullified IRS Notice 2025-28 — guidance that weakened the 15% corporate alternative minimum tax created by the Inflation Reduction Act. The resolution was led by Ranking Member Ron Wyden and Sen. Angus King. Only one Republican, Susan Collins of Maine, voted with Democrats. The blocked resolution targeted a Treasury change estimated to cost over $10 billion by allowing large corporations to selectively count partnership income.

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FBI raids Georgia elections hub on referral from sanctioned 2020 denier Kurt Olsen

Court documents unsealed around February 10, 2026 revealed that the FBI seized 700 boxes of ballots and voter records from Fulton County Elections Hub on January 28, 2026, acting on a criminal referral from Kurt Olsen — Trump presidentially appointed Director of Election Security and Integrity. Olsen had previously been sanctioned by the Arizona Supreme Court for making false election fraud claims in the Kari Lake case. The affidavit contained debunked voter fraud claims, and only 23 days elapsed between Olsen referral and the raid.

Grand jury refuses to indict six Democrats who urged military to reject illegal orders

A grand jury declined on February 10, 2026 to indict six Democratic lawmakers the DOJ sought to prosecute over a November 2025 video urging military and intelligence community members not to comply with unlawful orders. The video featured Sens. Mark Kelly and Elissa Slotkin and Reps. Jason Crow, Chris Deluzio, and Chrissy Houlahan. Trump had called the lawmakers traitors engaged in sedition at the highest level. Legal experts cited the Speech or Debate Clause and First Amendment as bars to prosecution.

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Senate confirms Daniel Burrows 52-46 to lead DOJ Office of Legal Policy

The Senate confirmed Daniel Burrows as Assistant Attorney General for Legal Policy on February 10, 2026 by a 52–46 vote. Burrows, a former chief deputy attorney general of Kansas and White House deputy staff secretary since January 2025, will lead the Office of Legal Policy — the DOJ division that vets federal judicial nominations and crafts legal policy positions. His confirmation gives the Trump administration direct control over the judicial selection pipeline heading into an expected cycle of district and circuit court vacancies.

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