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....
U.S. Foreign Assistance: Budget Development and Execution
U.S. foreign assistance provided through Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs (SFOPS) appropriations is subject to a high level of congressional input, as mandated under the F...
Secretarial Waiver Authority Under the ESEA and CARES Act
On March 27, 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (P.L. 116-136) was signed into law. The law includes new waiver authority for the Secretary of Education (the Secretar...
Power of Siberia: A Natural Gas Pipeline Brings Russia and China Closer
Overview
The “Power of Siberia,” the first natural gas pipeline to bring Russian gas into China, began operations in December 2019. The pipeline’s initial capacity, 5 billion cubic meters (BCM), would...
CARES Act Elementary and Secondary Education Provisions
On March 27, 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (P.L. 116-136) was signed into law. The law includes several provisions that apply to elementary and secondary educati...
House Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress: Structure and Procedures
On January 4, 2019, the House established the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress by adopting Title II of H.Res. 6, the House rules package for the 116th Congress (2019-2020), on a 418-1...
Treasury’s Exchange Stabilization Fund and COVID-19
As part of the U.S. government’s economic response to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act; H.R. 748/P.L. 116-136), was signed int...