Introduction to Financial Services: The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)
In 2010, through enactment of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank, P.L. 111-203), Congress established the CFPB to implement and enforce federal consumer financia...
Alaska’s Active Volcanoes: Federal Role in Research, Monitoring, and Warning
Alaska has about 140 active volcanoes, and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) considers 86 to be threatening to people and property. Most of Alaska’s active volcanoes are stratovolcanoes, capable of ex...
DOT’s Federal Pipeline Safety Program: Background and Issues for Congress
The U.S. energy pipeline network includes 3.3 million miles of onshore pipeline transporting natural gas, crude oil, and other hazardous liquids. Over the past decade, major safety incidents in Califo...
Federal Preemption and State Authority to Deter the Presence of Unlawfully Present Aliens: An Overview and Issues for the 119th Congress
The Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution (Article VI, clause 2) states that the Constitution, treaties, and federal law “shall be the supreme Law of the land.” In interpreting this clause, the Su...
What Is the Blue Economy?
Marine economic activity, which may include activities occurring in the ocean, coastal areas, and Great Lakes, is important for U.S. economic growth and jobs, as well as the livelihoods of Americans, ...
Finding Medicare Fee-For-Service (FFS) Payment System Rules: Schedules and Resources
The Medicare Fee-For-Service (FFS) program pays physicians, hospitals, and other health care facilities based on statutorily established payment systems, most of which are updated annually through reg...
Hobby Distillers Association v. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau: The Limits on Taxing Schemes to Regulate Behavior
On July 10, 2024, in Hobby Distillers Association v. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas granted the Hobby Distillers Association and o...
The Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) reported that it has approximately 38,000 employees as of April 2025. It employs intelligence analysts, language specialists, scientists, and information tech...
Congressional Staff: Duties and Qualifications Identified by Members of Congress for Selected Positions
The roles, duties, and activities of congressional staff are matters of ongoing interest to Members of Congress, congressional staff, and observers of Congress. Members of the House and Senate establi...