Congress, the Judiciary, and Civil and Criminal Procedure
Two sets of authorities govern proceedings in federal court: substantive laws create certain legal rights or impose duties, while procedural laws control the way courts enforce those substantive right...
Bribery, Kickbacks, and Self-Dealing: An Overview of Honest Services Fraud and Issues for Congress
As the trials of state legislators Sheldon Silver and Dean Skelos illustrate, corruption among high-profile public officials continues to be a concern in the United States. Likewise, recent examples a...
Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD) Appropriations for FY2020: In Brief
The respective House and Senate Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD) appropriations subcommittees are charged with providing annual appropriations for the Departm...
Copyright and State Sovereign Immunity: The Allen v. Cooper Decision
On March 23, 2020, the Supreme Court issued its opinion in Allen v. Cooper, concluding that Congress lacked the authority to enact the Copyright Remedy Clarification Act of 1990 (CRCA), which purporte...
COVID-19 and China: A Chronology of Events (December 2019-January 2020)
In Congress, multiple bills and resolutions have been introduced related to China’s handling of a novel coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, China, that expanded to become the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVI...
Presidential Objections to Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery Reporting Requirements
President Trump signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act or Act) on March 27, 2020. But when doing so, he issued a signing statement identifying his “constitutional con...
COVID-19, U.S. Agriculture, and USDA’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP)
As COVID-19 has spread throughout the United States, it has reduced domestic economic activity and disrupted domestic and international supply chains for goods and services, including food and agricul...
COVID-19: Supply Chain Disruptions in the U.S. Fruit and Vegetable Industry: In Brief
In mid-March 2020, the foodservice industry, which accounts for a substantial share of the produce industry’s sales, was largely shut down as most states closed all but essential businesses in respons...
The Office of Technology Assessment: History, Authorities, Issues, and Options
Congress established the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) as a legislative branch agency by the Office of Technology Assessment Act of 1972 (P.L. 92-484). OTA was created to provide Congress with...
No Judicial Review of Certain Patent Office Decisions, Supreme Court Holds
In 2011, Congress enacted major patent reform in the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (AIA). The AIA, among other things, created inter partes review (IPR), an adversarial procedure during which the U....
Quantum Information Science: Congressional Activity and Federal Policy Recommendations
Quantum Information Science Technologies and Applications
Combining elements of mathematics, computer science, engineering, and physical sciences, quantum information science (QIS) is believed to have...
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act—Tax Relief for Individuals and Businesses
Congress is considering a number of proposals that seek to mitigate the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. One such proposal, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (S....