Policy Library

7,020 documents

Social Media in the House of Representatives: Frequently Asked Questions
Congressional Research Service · 2016-10-07 · Reports · 1,457 words
Recently, the number of Member offices adopting social media as an official communications tool has increased. With the increased use of social media accounts for official representational duties, the...
Feds Should End Protectionist Steel Tariffs
Heritage Foundation · 2016-10-06 · Commentary · 691 words
Despite slow growth in the global economy, some countries — most notably China — are producing large amounts of steel.
Conservation Compliance and U.S. Farm Policy
Congressional Research Service · 2016-10-06 · Reports · 8,916 words
The Food Security Act of 1985 (P.L. 99-198, 1985 farm bill) included a number of significant agricultural conservation provisions designed to reduce farm production and conserve soil and water resourc...
Brexit Could Lift All Boats, If the EU Will Let It
Heritage Foundation · 2016-10-04 · Commentary · 805 words
Fear-mongering pundits and politicians campaigning for the United Kingdom to remain in the European Union predicted dire consequences if British voters decided to leave. Developments in the months sin...
Midnight Rulemaking: Background and Options for Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2016-10-04 · Reports · 9,691 words
During the final months of recent presidential administrations, federal agencies have typically issued a larger number of rules relative to comparable time periods earlier in the administration. This ...
An Abridged Sketch of Extradition To and From the United States
Congressional Research Service · 2016-10-04 · Reports · 4,502 words
“Extradition” is the formal surrender of a person by a State to another State for prosecution or punishment. Extradition to or from the United States is a creature of treaty. The United States has ext...
Bring Back PART: The Case for Evidence-Based Fiscal Discipline
Heritage Foundation · 2016-10-03 · Commentary · 786 words
Though tax revenues are at all-time highs, Washington continues to spend hundreds of billions of dollars more than it collects every year. As a result, the federal government now carries an enormous a...
Energy Policy: 114th Congress Issues
Congressional Research Service · 2016-09-30 · Reports · 4,691 words
Energy policy in the United States has focused on three major goals: assuring a secure supply of energy, keeping energy costs low, and protecting the environment. In pursuit of those goals, government...
Human-Induced Earthquakes from Deep-Well Injection: A Brief Overview
Congressional Research Service · 2016-09-30 · Reports · 14,616 words
The development of unconventional oil and natural gas resources using horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing has created new demand for disposal wells that inject waste fluids into deep geologic...
Encryption: Frequently Asked Questions
Congressional Research Service · 2016-09-28 · Reports · 8,918 words
Encryption is a process to secure information from unwanted access or use. Encryption uses the art of cryptography to change information which can be read (plaintext) and make it so that it cannot be ...
Housing for Persons Living with HIV/AIDS
Congressional Research Service · 2016-09-27 · Reports · 11,495 words
Since the beginning of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) epidemic in the early 1980s, many individuals living with the disease have had difficulty finding affordable, stable housing. In th...
EPA’s Clean Power Plan: Highlights of the Final Rule
Congressional Research Service · 2016-09-27 · Reports · 7,025 words
On August 3, 2015, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized regulations that address carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in the electric power sector. The Clean Power Plan (CPP) final rule requi...
United States Supreme Court: Criminal Law Cases in the October 2015 Term
Congressional Research Service · 2016-09-27 · Reports · 32,403 words · PDF available
The white collar crimes on the Supreme Court’s 2015 docket consist of three Hobbs Act cases and one on computer fraud (Musacchio v. United States). The Hobbs Act outlaws robbery and extortion when com...
Child Support Enforcement and the Hague Convention on Recovery of International Child Support
Congressional Research Service · 2016-09-22 · Reports · 8,472 words · PDF available
The Hague Convention on the International Recovery of Child Support and Other Forms of Family Maintenance (the Convention) was adopted at the Hague Conference on Private International Law on November ...
A Workable Blueprint For Energy Freedom
Heritage Foundation · 2016-09-21 · Commentary · 858 words
“Keep it in the ground." That mantra of the Greens encapsulates the restrictive energy policies imposed by the Obama administration.
Misguided Energy Mandates Fueling Higher Prices
Heritage Foundation · 2016-09-21 · Commentary · 901 words
Have you noticed how food prices have climbed over the last few years? A good portion of the blame for that goes to the Renewable Fuel Standard. The RFS, which recently turned 11, perfectly illustrate...
Getting Sucker Punched by Energy Efficiency Regulations
Heritage Foundation · 2016-09-21 · Commentary · 895 words
You have houseguests and you may not even know it. Indeed, they can be found in virtually every room of your home. We’re referring to federal regulators. They’re determined to reduce your energy use, ...
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)
Congressional Research Service · 2016-09-21 · Reports · 7,050 words
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) has been ratified by 183 nations, including the United States. It regulates the international trade in anima...
Behavioral Health Among American Indian and Alaska Natives: An Overview
Congressional Research Service · 2016-09-16 · Reports · 9,761 words
Behavioral health problems (e.g., mental disorders, substance use disorders, and suicide) among the American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) population have been the subject of multiple congressional...
Nanotechnology: A Policy Primer
Congressional Research Service · 2016-09-15 · Reports · 12,215 words
Nanoscale science, engineering, and technology—commonly referred to collectively as “nanotechnology”—is believed by many to offer extraordinary economic and societal benefits. Congress has demonstrate...
U.S. Interests in the United Kingdom and Europe After Brexit
Heritage Foundation · 2016-09-14 · Commentary · 1,995 words
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will soon hold a hearing on “Brexit: U.S. Interests in the United Kingdom and Europe.” Both witnesses scheduled to appear are officials in the Obama Administrati...
The Dodd-Frank Act: An Overview of the 2016 Incentive-Based Compensation Proposal
Congressional Research Service · 2016-09-14 · Reports · 8,843 words · PDF available
Incentive compensation or incentive-based compensation refers to the portion of an employee’s pay that is not fixed in contrast to an annual or monthly salary. Incentive compensation takes the form of...
Sea-Level Rise and U.S. Coasts
Congressional Research Service · 2016-09-12 · Resources · 1,448 words
Policymakers are interested in sea-level rise because of the risk to U.S. coastal populations and infrastructure and changes to coastal ecosystems. Some coastal states and U.S. territories have a cons...
Sea-Level Rise and U.S. Coasts: Science and Policy Considerations
Congressional Research Service · 2016-09-12 · Reports · 19,296 words
Policymakers are interested in sea-level rise because of the risk to coastal populations and infrastructure and the consequences for coastal species and ecosystems. From 1901 to 2010, global sea level...
China’s Efforts to Address Ongoing Food Safety Concerns
Congressional Research Service · 2016-09-09 · Resources · 1,615 words
China’s role in global agricultural trade has grown significantly, with China now a major supplier of fish and seafood, fruits and vegetables, juices, and processed foods. Agricultural trade between C...
The Heritage Foundation's Recommendations for U.S. Military Force Levels
Heritage Foundation · 2016-09-08 · Commentary · 1,169 words
Heritage's Recommendations for U.S. Military Force Levels
Misusing ‘Separation of Church and State’
Heritage Foundation · 2016-09-07 · Commentary · 832 words
Missouri denies kids safe playground surfaces for wrong reasons.
U.S. Withdrawal from Free Trade Agreements: Frequently Asked Legal Questions
Congressional Research Service · 2016-09-07 · Reports · 12,586 words
The United States is party to 14 international free trade agreements (FTAs) with 20 countries. These agreements impose a wide variety of international obligations on the United States and its trading ...
Space Exploration
Congressional Research Service · 2016-09-02 · Resources · 1,702 words · PDF available
Overview The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is the primary federal agency for civil space programs. The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. ...
Puerto Rico Oversight Board Members Specialize in Finance, Not Economic Reform
Heritage Foundation · 2016-09-01 · Commentary · 534 words
President Barack Obama has appointed the seven members of the congressionally mandated oversight board for Puerto Rico. The board will have authority over the U.S.
Will Uncle Sam Be the Mine Union's Sugar Daddy?
Heritage Foundation · 2016-08-31 · Commentary · 822 words
Should taxpayers have to pick up the tab when unions break their promises? The United Mine Workers of America union thinks so. Its pension fund has promised workers $5.6 billion more than it can pay. ...
Trade With China Is a Net Plus for Americans
Heritage Foundation · 2016-08-31 · Commentary · 1,315 words
“The China Shock: Learning from Labor Market Adjustment to Large Changes in Trade,” a scholarly paper that examines the impact of U.S. trade with China, has made quite a splash in policy circles.
What Both Candidates Have Wrong About U.S. Infrastructure
Heritage Foundation · 2016-08-31 · Commentary · 768 words
They may not agree on much, but Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are of one mind when it comes to the state of the nation’s infrastructure.
The Feds Should Stay out of the Bike Lane
Heritage Foundation · 2016-08-31 · Commentary · 792 words
Capital Bikeshare riders owe D.C. taxpayers a big “thank-you.” Though the bikeshare charges riders membership and usage fees and recently began selling advertising, that revenue covers only 70 percent...
They Came For MetLife, And I Said Nothing, Then They Came For Home Depot
Heritage Foundation · 2016-08-31 · Commentary · 1,391 words
The latest round in the battle between MetLife and the Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC) is officially underway. MetLife has filed its brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circ...
The Big Short: A Great Movie, Not A Policy Prescription
Heritage Foundation · 2016-08-31 · Commentary · 1,424 words
For the last year or so, countless people have asked me what I thought of the movie “The Big Short.” Thanks to Netflix, I’ve finally seen it.
Eureka! Texas Court Reminds Liberal Professors That Our Rights Don't Cancel Each Other Out
Heritage Foundation · 2016-08-31 · Commentary · 1,244 words
Court rejects Texas law professors' argument that the Second Amendment chills free speech.
B-Girls, Bourbon, and Casablanca — and All in One Case
Heritage Foundation · 2016-08-31 · Commentary · 1,245 words
B-Girls, Bourbon, and Casablanca — and All in One Case
Protecting Classified Information and the Rights of Criminal Defendants: The Classified Information Procedures Act
Congressional Research Service · 2016-08-31 · Reports · 7,743 words
A criminal prosecution involving classified information may cause tension between the government’s interest in protecting classified information and the criminal defendant’s right to a constitutionall...
The Exxon Shakedown
Heritage Foundation · 2016-08-30 · Commentary · 985 words
Liberal attorneys general from 17 states have put a big red bull's-eye on the chest of Big Oil. Their bizarre claim is that for years energy companies fraudulently covered up their knowledge that gree...
Jim Crow Rears Its Ugly Head in Guam
Heritage Foundation · 2016-08-30 · Commentary · 1,385 words
Racial activists in the Pacific are trying to separate from America one of the nation's most important strategic assets.
Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act (H.R. 3700)
Congressional Research Service · 2016-08-30 · Reports · 7,508 words
The Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act (HOTMA; H.R. 3700), signed into law on July 29, 2016 (P.L. 114-201), makes amendments to various Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) pro...
Give States the Freedom to Regulate Drones
Heritage Foundation · 2016-08-29 · Commentary · 1,017 words
States can adequately address many drone-related dangers without federal involvement or preemption.
Voter ID and the Real Threat to Democracy
Heritage Foundation · 2016-08-29 · Commentary · 1,017 words
Throwing out Voter ID laws won’t help minorities in Texas, North Carolina and Wisconsin.
EPA’s Clean Energy Incentive Program: Background and Legal Developments
Congressional Research Service · 2016-08-29 · Reports · 6,069 words
In 2015, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established the Clean Energy Incentive Program (CEIP) as a voluntary complement to its regulatory program known as the Clean Power Plan (CPP). T...
Export-Import Bank (Ex-Im Bank) and the Federal Budget
Congressional Research Service · 2016-08-29 · Resources · 1,727 words
Background What is Ex-Im Bank, and what is the congressional interest? As the official U.S. export credit agency, Export-Import (Ex-Im) Bank finances and insures U.S. exports of goods and services on ...
Conservatives Score Two Voting Law Wins in Ohio and Virginia - But Could Those Victories Be Short Lived?
Heritage Foundation · 2016-08-24 · Commentary · 1,551 words
Voting laws in Ohio and Virginia were upheld in the wake of defeats in Wisconsin and North Carolina.
When Calling Police is Not the Solution
Heritage Foundation · 2016-08-22 · Commentary · 961 words
An epidemic of senseless school arrests is the latest symptom of overcriminalization.
Implicit Bias at the Washington Post
Heritage Foundation · 2016-08-18 · Commentary · 833 words
Washington Post reporting on "implicit bias" training at the Justice Department includes unfair personal attacks.
Why Does DHS Want to Designate Election Booths 'Critical Infrastructure?'
Heritage Foundation · 2016-08-17 · Commentary · 1,626 words
Despite claims, there is no credible threat of a successful cyberattack on our voting and ballot-counting process.