Commemorations in Congress: Options for Honoring Individuals, Groups, and Events
Since its inception, Congress has used commemorative legislation to express public gratitude for distinguished contributions; dramatize the virtues of individuals, groups, and causes; and perpetuate t...
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Budget: Background, Trends, and Policy Options
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) was created in the 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank, P.L. 111-203). Dodd-Frank specified that the CFPB would b...
Recent Developments Regarding New and Existing Payment Models at the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation
Introduction
On March 12, 2025, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI), within the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), announced it would terminate several alternative paym...
Health Coverage Provisions in One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1)
On May 22, 2025, the House passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA; H.R. 1), which provides for budget reconciliation pursuant to Title II of the Concurrent Resolution on the Budget for FY2025 (H...
Medicare Coverage: Background and Resources
This In Focus provides an overview of Medicare coverage of services and items, coverage determination processes, and core resources on these topics for beneficiaries, health care providers, and policy...
Congress Repeals Rule That Would Have Subjected Large, Nonbank Digital Wallet and Payment App Providers to CFPB Supervision
On December 10, 2024, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) published a final rule bringing certain nonbank digital payment and digital wallet companies under its supervisory regime, allowin...
H.R. 1 Limitation on Enforcement of Contempt Orders: Selected Legal Considerations
Section 70302 of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1), as passed by the House of Representatives on May 22, 2025, would limit the authority of federal courts to enforce contempt citations for failu...
The CBP Home Mobile Application and “Self-Departure”
On May 9, 2025, President Trump issued a proclamation, “Establishing Project Homecoming,” to give certain aliens (any person not a U.S. citizen or national) without lawful status in the United States ...
Egypt: Background and U.S. Relations
Historically, Egypt has been an important country for U.S. national security interests based on its geography, demography, and diplomatic posture. Egypt controls the Suez Canal, which opened in 1869 a...
The U.S. Army’s Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW): Dark Eagle
What Is the Army’s Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon?
The Army’s Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW), also known as Dark Eagle (Figure 1), with a reported range of 1,725 miles, consists of a ground-launche...
A Brief Overview of FEMA’s Public Assistance Program
The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Public Assistance (PA) program provides financial and direct federal assistance (e.g., federal supplies, personnel) to states, tribes, and territories ...
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS): Background and FY2026 Appropriations
Background
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in the Department of the Interior (DOI), provides scientific information to support the management of water, energy, mineral, ecosystem, and land resource...
Presidential Proclamation of June 4, 2025, Restricting the Entry of Certain Foreign Nationals
On June 4, 2025 President Trump issued a proclamation suspending the entry of certain foreign nationals (aliens) from 19 countries, effective June 9. Citing an intent to protect U.S. citizens “from al...