Policy Library

7,020 documents

Long-Term Federal Management of Uranium Mill Tailings: Background and Issues for Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2021-02-22 · Reports · 12,720 words · PDF available
In the wake of increasing concerns in the 1970s about human health and environmental risks posed by inactive uranium mill tailings, Congress enacted the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act of ...
The Rural Education Achievement Program: Title V-B of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act
Congressional Research Service · 2021-02-22 · Reports · 3,824 words · PDF available
The Rural Education Achievement Program (REAP) is authorized by Part B of Title V of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, P.L. 114-95...
Wildlife Trade, COVID-19, and Other Zoonotic Diseases
Congressional Research Service · 2021-02-19 · Resources · 1,640 words · PDF available
Introduction Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by a novel virus: the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). In March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) charac...
Congressional Review Act Issues for the 117th Congress: The Lookback Mechanism and Effects of Disapproval
Congressional Research Service · 2021-02-19 · Reports · 9,012 words · PDF available
The Congressional Review Act (CRA) (codified at 5 U.S.C. §§801-808) is a tool that Congress may use to pass legislation overturning a final rule issued by a federal agency. The CRA’s definition of rul...
An Analysis of the Geographic Distribution of the Mortgage Interest Deduction: Before and After the 2017 Tax Revision (P.L. 115-97)
Congressional Research Service · 2021-02-18 · Reports · 7,643 words · PDF available
Policymakers may be interested in the mortgage interest deduction (MID) because it is associated with homeownership and is one of the largest tax benefits available to homeowners in terms of forgone f...
Federal Crop Insurance: A Primer
Congressional Research Service · 2021-02-18 · Reports · 21,772 words · PDF available
The federal crop insurance program (FCIP) offers farmers the opportunity to purchase insurance coverage against financial losses caused by a wide variety of perils, including certain adverse growing a...
Trade Adjustment Assistance for Workers and the TAA Reauthorization Act of 2015
Congressional Research Service · 2021-02-17 · Reports · 8,023 words · PDF available
Trade Adjustment Assistance for Workers (TAA) provides federal assistance to workers who have involuntarily lost their jobs due to foreign competition. It was last reauthorized by the Trade Adjustment...
Rules of Origin
Congressional Research Service · 2021-02-17 · Resources · 1,502 words · PDF available
Background What are Rules of Origin? Rules of origin (ROO) are laws, regulations, and procedures used for ascertaining the “nationality” of imported products. ROO are important for many reasons, inclu...
Trade Adjustment Assistance for Workers (TAA)
Congressional Research Service · 2021-02-17 · Resources · 1,537 words · PDF available
Overview and Program Rationale Reduced barriers to international trade are widely acknowledged to offer net benefits by expanding market access but may adversely affect domestic industries and workers...
The Facebook Antitrust Lawsuits and the Future of Merger Enforcement
Congressional Research Service · 2021-02-16 · Posts · 2,451 words · PDF available
In December 2020, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and a group of 46 state attorneys general (state AGs) filed separate antitrust lawsuits against Facebook. Both lawsuits challenge the same conduct:...
The House Consensus Calendar: Establishment, Principal Features, and Practice in the 116th Congress (2019-2020)
Congressional Research Service · 2021-02-16 · Reports · 6,025 words · PDF available
Established in the 116th Congress (2019-2020) in clause 1 of House Rule XIII and clause 7 of House Rule XV, the Consensus Calendar provides an alternative route to the floor for certain unreported Hou...
Overview of FY2021 Appropriations for Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS)
Congressional Research Service · 2021-02-12 · Reports · 11,245 words · PDF available
This report describes actions taken to provide FY2021 appropriations for Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) accounts. The annual CJS appropriations act provides funding for the Dep...
Foreign Government-Sponsored Broadcast Programming
Congressional Research Service · 2021-02-11 · Resources · 1,481 words · PDF available
Overview Congress has enacted several laws to enable U.S. citizens and the federal government to monitor attempts by foreign governments to influence public opinion on political matters. Nevertheless,...
House Conferees: Restrictions on Their Authority
Congressional Research Service · 2021-02-09 · Reports · 1,468 words · PDF available
To resolve differences between House and Senate versions of a measure, Congress may establish a conference committee, composed of a House and a Senate delegation. Its task is to propose a final versio...
U.S. Farm Income Outlook: December 2020 Forecast
Congressional Research Service · 2021-02-09 · Reports · 15,841 words · PDF available
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) projects that U.S. farm profitability—as measured by net farm income and net cash income—increased substantially in 2020 from 2019 levels. In nominal dollars ...
The Federal Reserve’s Response to COVID-19: Policy Issues
Congressional Research Service · 2021-02-08 · Reports · 19,670 words · PDF available
The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused widespread disruptions to the economy. The Federal Reserve (Fed) took multiple policy actions in response to the crisis, and Congress took t...
Agency Rescissions of Legislative Rules
Congressional Research Service · 2021-02-08 · Reports · 17,791 words · PDF available
Federal administrative agencies carry out their statutorily prescribed responsibilities in many ways. Perhaps most significantly, agencies may, pursuant to congressionally delegated authority, promulg...
Mask Mandate: Does the Federal Aviation Administration Have Authority to Require Masks on Flights?
Congressional Research Service · 2021-02-08 · Posts · 2,221 words · PDF available
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cautions that although air circulation and filtration systems in passenger aircraft help reduce the spread of most viruses, sitting within six feet...
General State and Local Fiscal Assistance and COVID-19: Background and Available Data
Congressional Research Service · 2021-02-08 · Reports · 3,358 words · PDF available
The sudden decline in economic output following the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak has significantly altered the fiscal outlook for state and local governments. A sizable share of econom...
S.Con.Res. 5: The Budget Resolution for FY2021
Congressional Research Service · 2021-02-08 · Reports · 4,432 words · PDF available
On February 5, 2021, the House and Senate adopted S.Con.Res. 5, a budget resolution for FY2021. While a budget resolution generally represents an agreement between the House and Senate on a budgetary ...
Two Supreme Court Cases to Test Limits on Foreign Sovereign Immunity for Holocaust Harms
Congressional Research Service · 2021-02-05 · Posts · 2,693 words · PDF available
UPDATE: On February 3, 2021, the Supreme Court issued unanimous opinions in Germany and Hungary, holding that the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA) does not permit claims against foreign governm...
Overview of Funding Mechanisms in the Federal Budget Process, and Selected Examples
Congressional Research Service · 2021-02-05 · Reports · 20,627 words · PDF available
Every year, Congress considers numerous pieces of legislation that would create or modify federal government programs and activities. The variety of approaches used across the federal budget to fund t...
Unrest at the Capitol: Potential Violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice
Congressional Research Service · 2021-02-05 · Posts · 1,644 words · PDF available
After the unrest at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, sources reported that current and former military servicemembers were among the participants in the unrest. These reports prompted several Memb...
Office of the Comptroller of the Currency’s Fair Access to Financial Services Rule
Congressional Research Service · 2021-02-05 · Posts · 2,356 words · PDF available
On January 28, 2021, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) announced that it had “paused publication” of its Fair Access to Financial Services final rule (Fair Access Rule or the Rule), ...
Federal Statutes Protecting Domesticated and Captive Animals
Congressional Research Service · 2021-02-05 · Reports · 10,348 words · PDF available
A number of federal laws aim to protect the health, safety, and well-being of animals under human control. These laws extend to pets, domesticated livestock, service animals, test subjects, and wild a...
The Federal Minimum Wage: In Brief
Congressional Research Service · 2021-02-04 · Reports · 4,363 words · PDF available
The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), enacted in 1938, is the federal law that establishes the minimum hourly wage that must be paid to all covered workers. The minimum wage provisions of the FLSA have...
U.S. Trade Policy Primer: Frequently Asked Questions
Congressional Research Service · 2021-02-04 · Reports · 27,626 words · PDF available
Congress plays a major role in U.S. trade policy through its legislative and oversight authority. Since the end of World War II, U.S. trade policy has focused on fostering an open, rules-based global ...
The Bureau of Indian Affairs: FY2021 Appropriations
Congressional Research Service · 2021-02-04 · Resources · 1,558 words · PDF available
The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), in the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), administers programs for tribal government, social services, law enforcement, infrastructure, and trust land and natur...
The Alaska Roadless Rule: Eliminating Inventoried Roadless Areas (IRAs) in the Tongass National Forest
Congressional Research Service · 2021-02-03 · Reports · 11,944 words · PDF available
Inventoried roadless areas (IRAs) are areas of the National Forest System (NFS) identified administratively by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service (FS). IRAs are managed according...
The Trump Administration’s “Zero Tolerance” Immigration Enforcement Policy
Congressional Research Service · 2021-02-02 · Reports · 17,218 words · PDF available
For the last decade, Central American migrant families have arrived at the U.S.-Mexico border in relatively large numbers, many seeking asylum. While some request asylum at U.S. ports of entry, others...
Child and Dependent Care Tax Benefits: How They Work and Who Receives Them
Congressional Research Service · 2021-02-01 · Reports · 11,072 words · PDF available
Two tax provisions subsidize the child and dependent care expenses of working parents: the child and dependent care tax credit (CDCTC) and the exclusion for employer-sponsored child and dependent care...
Court Rules Dakota Access Pipeline Needs Further Environmental Review
Congressional Research Service · 2021-02-01 · Posts · 1,814 words · PDF available
UPDATE: On January 26 2021, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit affirmed the district court’s decision requiring the Army Corps of Engineers to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EI...
Fiscal Policy and Recovery from the COVID19 Recession
Congressional Research Service · 2021-02-01 · Reports · 12,757 words · PDF available
The economic contraction that began in February 2020 differs from previous contractions, including the Great Depression of the 1930s and the Great Recession of 2007-2009. It was caused in large part b...
Resolutions to Censure the President: Procedure and History
Congressional Research Service · 2021-02-01 · Reports · 10,162 words · PDF available
Censure is a reprimand adopted by one or both chambers of Congress against a Member of Congress, President, federal judge, or other government official. While Member censure is a disciplinary measure ...
Farm Service Agency Committees: In Brief
Congressional Research Service · 2021-01-29 · Reports · 1,730 words · PDF available
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) relies heavily on state and local officials to administer Farm Service Agency (FSA) programs. These officials include State Executive Directors and s...
Possible U.S. Return to Iran Nuclear Agreement: Frequently Asked Questions
Congressional Research Service · 2021-01-29 · Reports · 10,685 words · PDF available
President Joseph Biden and members of his Administration have expressed an intention to reverse various Trump Administration policies toward Iran, particularly the Trump Administration’s decision to e...
State Innovation Waivers: Frequently Asked Questions
Congressional Research Service · 2021-01-29 · Reports · 10,550 words · PDF available
Section 1332 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA; P.L. 111-148, as amended) provides states with the option to waive specified requirements of the ACA. In the absence of these requi...
Vaccine Safety in the United States: Overview and Considerations for COVID-19 Vaccines
Congressional Research Service · 2021-01-29 · Reports · 22,767 words · PDF available
Widespread immunization efforts have been linked to increased life expectancy and reduced illness. U.S. vaccination programs, headed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) within the ...
Proposals for a COVID-19 Congressional Advisory Commission in the 116th Congress: A Comparative Analysis
Congressional Research Service · 2021-01-28 · Reports · 13,966 words · PDF available
Throughout U.S. history, Congress has created advisory commissions to assist in the development of public policy. Among other contexts, commissions have been used following crisis situations, includin...
The Senior Executive Service: An Overview
Congressional Research Service · 2021-01-28 · Resources · 1,473 words · PDF available
The Senior Executive Service (SES) was established by the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 (P.L. 95-454) to provide a government-wide cadre of high-level managers within federal agencies. The SES comp...
Federal Universal Service Fund and Other Selected Federal Broadband Programs: A Primer
Congressional Research Service · 2021-01-28 · Resources · 1,406 words · PDF available
Introduction Efforts to deploy voice telephone service throughout the United States began almost 100 years ago. Starting in the 1990s, these efforts shifted toward the deployment of broadband internet...
The Biden Administration Extends the Pause on Federal Student Loan Payments: Legal Considerations for Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2021-01-27 · Posts · 1,913 words · PDF available
Last year, both the Trump Administration and the 116th Congress granted temporary relief to certain student loan borrowers in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. On the first day of his presidency, Pre...
The COVID-19 Pandemic and Institutions of Higher Education: Contemporary Issues
Congressional Research Service · 2021-01-27 · Reports · 12,937 words · PDF available
There have been numerous reports of institutions of higher education (IHEs) experiencing financial hardships as a result of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This report discusses and ...
Is Mandatory Detention of Unlawful Entrants Seeking Asylum Constitutional?
Congressional Research Service · 2021-01-27 · Posts · 2,327 words · PDF available
Non-U.S. nationals (aliens) apprehended by immigration authorities when attempting to unlawfully enter the United States are generally subject to a streamlined, expedited removal process, but may be p...
The Budget Reconciliation Process: Stages of Consideration
Congressional Research Service · 2021-01-25 · Reports · 5,977 words · PDF available
The purpose of the reconciliation process is to enhance Congress’s ability to bring existing spending, revenue, and debt limit laws into compliance with current fiscal priorities and goals established...
Casework in Congressional Offices: Frequently Asked Questions
Congressional Research Service · 2021-01-25 · Reports · 3,761 words · PDF available
Constituents often contact a congressional office looking for assistance; the work congressional offices do in response to these requests is generally referred to as casework. Members of Congress dete...
Capitol Unrest, Legislative Response, and the Bill of Attainder Clause
Congressional Research Service · 2021-01-22 · Posts · 3,098 words · PDF available
On January 6, 2021, a crowd gathered on the U.S. Capitol grounds, breached police barriers, entered and occupied portions of the Capitol building, and clashed with law enforcement. The incident result...
Fiscal Policy: Economic Effects
Congressional Research Service · 2021-01-21 · Reports · 5,821 words · PDF available
Fiscal policy describes changes to government spending and revenue behavior in an effort to influence the economy. By adjusting its level of spending and tax revenue, the government can affect economi...
The Federal Communications Commission in the Biden Administration: Issues and New Directions
Congressional Research Service · 2021-01-21 · Resources · 1,547 words · PDF available
Introduction The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the new Biden Administration may take different positions on several key topics than the FCC under the Trump Administration, including Secti...
Changes to House Rules Affecting the Congressional Budget Process Included in H.Res. 8 (117th Congress)
Congressional Research Service · 2021-01-21 · Reports · 1,847 words · PDF available
At the beginning of each Congress, the House of Representatives adopts rules to govern its proceedings. Traditionally, the House does this by readopting the rules of the previous Congress along with c...