Policy Library

12 documents

Salaries of Members of Congress: Recent Actions and Historical Tables
Congressional Research Service · 2025-08-26 · Reports · 15,026 words · PDF available
Congress is required by Article I, Section 6, of the Constitution to determine its own pay. In the past, Congress periodically enacted specific legislation to alter its pay; the last time this occurre...
Rights-of-Way for Access On or Through Tribal Lands
Congressional Research Service · 2025-08-26 · Resources · 1,851 words · PDF available
Congress has constitutional authority over issues relating to federally recognized Tribes (hereinafter, Tribes), which it has used to regulate access on and through tribal lands. In addition, the fede...
Defense Acquisition Reform: Executive and Legislative Branch Actions
Congressional Research Service · 2025-08-26 · Posts · 985 words · PDF available
Background The Department of Defense (DOD) procures its weapon systems through the defense acquisition system (DAS), which typically determines the process by which DOD develops and buys goods and ser...
U.S.-China Tariff Actions Since 2018: An Overview
Congressional Research Service · 2025-08-26 · Resources · 1,604 words · PDF available
Since 2018, the U.S. government has imposed a series of tariffs on imports from the People’s Republic of China (PRC, or China) with the stated intention of addressing U.S. concerns about PRC trade pra...
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: A Primer
Congressional Research Service · 2025-08-26 · Reports · 12,923 words · PDF available
The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant provides federal grants to the 50 states, District of Columbia, and territories (collectively, “states”), as well as Indian tribes. TANF ...
Financial Fraud and Scams: The Roles of Federal Law Enforcement and Financial Regulators
Congressional Research Service · 2025-08-26 · Resources · 1,541 words · PDF available
Reported losses associated with financial fraud and scams have been increasing, garnering attention from law enforcement, private industry, policymakers, and the general public. In 2024, the Federal T...
Data Centers and Their Energy Consumption: Frequently Asked Questions
Congressional Research Service · 2025-08-26 · Reports · 6,441 words · PDF available
In its simplest form, a data center is a physical facility that houses and runs large computer systems. U.S. data center annual energy use in 2023 (not accounting for cryptocurrency) was approximately...
Private Sector: Accounting and Auditing Regulatory Structure
Congressional Research Service · 2025-08-26 · Reports · 12,408 words · PDF available
In the United States, accounting and auditing standards are promulgated and regulated by various federal, state, and self-regulatory agencies. Accounting and auditing standards are also influenced by ...
Salaries of Members of Congress: Congressional Votes, 1990-2025
Congressional Research Service · 2025-08-26 · Reports · 18,529 words · PDF available
Article I, Section 6, of the U.S. Constitution requires that compensation for Members of Congress be “ascertained by law, and paid out of the Treasury of the United States.” Congress has relied on th...
Illicit Fentanyl and Mexico’s Role
Congressional Research Service · 2025-08-26 · Resources · 1,766 words · PDF available
For over a decade, the synthetic opioid fentanyl has been a key driver of the opioid crisis in the United States. Countering the international trafficking of fentanyl and its analogues and precursor c...
EPA’s Proposed Reorganization of Its Office of Research and Development
Congressional Research Service · 2025-08-26 · Posts · 941 words · PDF available
On May 2, 2025, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin announced and opined on a reorganization effort that would integrate scientific staff from EPA’s Office of Research ...
Appellate Courts Divided on Whether a Single Incident of Sexual Harassment Can Trigger Title IX Liability for Schools
Congressional Research Service · 2025-08-26 · Posts · 2,984 words · PDF available
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX) prohibits sex discrimination in education programs and activities that receive federal financial assistance. Recipient schools can be liable und...