Policy Library

6,587 documents

Cameroon
Congressional Research Service · 2025-04-15 · Resources · 1,507 words · PDF available
Cameroon is a diverse, resource-rich, majority Francophone country bordering the Gulf of Guinea. Its strategic location and ports (Douala, Kribi) make it an economic conduit for Central Africa, connec...
Recent Regulatory Activity on Bank Merger Policy
Congressional Research Service · 2025-04-15 · Posts · 1,015 words · PDF available
Bank mergers are generally approved by the federal banking agencies and the Department of Justice. In September 2024, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) and the Federal Deposit Insura...
Congressional Court Watcher: Circuit Splits from March 2025
Congressional Research Service · 2025-04-15 · Posts · 1,827 words · PDF available
The U.S. Courts of Appeals for the thirteen “circuits” issue thousands of precedential decisions each year. Because relatively few of these decisions are ultimately reviewed by the Supreme Court, the ...
The Palestinians: Overview, Aid, and U.S. Policy Issues
Congressional Research Service · 2025-04-15 · Resources · 1,593 words · PDF available
The Palestinians are an Arab people whose origins are in present-day Israel, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip. The October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel—led by the Iran-backed Sunni Islamist group Hamas...
U.S. Withdrawal from the Paris Agreement: Process and Potential Effects
Congressional Research Service · 2025-04-14 · Reports · 10,647 words · PDF available
On January 20, 2025, President Trump issued Executive Order (E.O.) 14162, in which Section 3(a) provided direction to the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations (UN) regarding withdrawing the United St...
Measuring the Impacts of the H-1B Visa Program on Foreign Labor Markets: Two Recent Quasi-Experimental Studies
Congressional Research Service · 2025-04-14 · Resources · 1,749 words · PDF available
The H-1B visa program, created by the Immigration Act of 1990 (P.L. 101-649), allows U.S. employers to hire temporary foreign workers in specialty occupations requiring a college degree. Many H-1B wor...
U.S.-Canada Relations amid Tariffs Under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act
Congressional Research Service · 2025-04-14 · Posts · 1,048 words · PDF available
On February 1, 2025, President Donald J. Trump issued Executive Order 14193, stating that “the failure of Canada to do more” to address illicit fentanyl and other drug trafficking “constitutes an unus...
Earth Day: Fact Sheet
Congressional Research Service · 2025-04-11 · Reports · 1,124 words · PDF available
Earth Day is an annual event to raise awareness about environmental issues. First held on April 22, 1970, it is celebrated each year on April 22. This fact sheet assists congressional offices with wor...
Strategic Petroleum Reserve: Inventory Outlook and Policy Considerations
Congressional Research Service · 2025-04-11 · Posts · 1,031 words · PDF available
In his January 2025 inaugural address, President Trump indicated that his administration intends to fill the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) to capacity. A February 2025 U.S. Department of Ener...
Preventive Services Access Heads to the Supreme Court: Kennedy v. Braidwood
Congressional Research Service · 2025-04-11 · Posts · 2,902 words · PDF available
On April 21, 2025, the Supreme Court is set to hear oral argument in Kennedy v. Braidwood, a constitutional challenge to a federal requirement on private health plans to cover clinical preventive serv...
Bahrain: Issues for U.S. Policy
Congressional Research Service · 2025-04-11 · Reports · 7,453 words · PDF available
The Kingdom of Bahrain is an island nation connected by a causeway to Saudi Arabia (15.5 miles away) and once claimed by Iran (124 miles away). Though small geographically and wedged between these two...
Absentee Voting for Uniformed Services and Overseas Citizens: Roles and Process, In Brief
Congressional Research Service · 2025-04-11 · Resources · 1,531 words · PDF available
Members of the military, their families, and overseas U.S. citizens face unique voting challenges. These can include delays in receiving or transmitting balloting materials; uncertainty about voter el...
Attempt: An Overview of Federal Criminal Law
Congressional Research Service · 2025-04-11 · Reports · 15,556 words · PDF available
Attempt is the incomplete form of some other underlying offense. Unlike state law, federal law does not feature a general attempt statute. Instead, federal law outlaws the attempt to commit a number o...
The Credit Union System: Lending Activities and Selected Regulatory Developments
Congressional Research Service · 2025-04-10 · Reports · 15,356 words · PDF available
Credit unions make loans to their members, other credit unions, and corporate credit unions that provide financial services to individual credit unions. Historically, credit unions have faced statutor...
Supreme Court Hears Argument on Religious Tax Exemptions
Congressional Research Service · 2025-04-10 · Posts · 2,746 words · PDF available
When can corporations claim a religious exemption to avoid paying taxes? On March 31, 2025, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a case that may address this question: Catholic Charities Bureau, ...
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA): Current Status
Congressional Research Service · 2025-04-10 · Resources · 1,601 words · PDF available
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) is a set of federally developed recommendations designed to promote health, prevent diet-related chronic disease, and meet nutrient needs. Due to its impact ...
Central Bank Digital Currencies
Congressional Research Service · 2025-04-10 · Resources · 1,839 words · PDF available
Policymakers have debated whether the Federal Reserve (Fed) should create a central bank digital currency (CBDC)—a “digital dollar.” A CBDC would share some of the features of cryptocurrencies (crypto...
DNA Methylation: Applications to Living Marine Resource Management
Congressional Research Service · 2025-04-09 · Resources · 1,568 words · PDF available
Introduction Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is a molecule that contains the genetic information of an organism (Figure 1). It consists of two linked strands of alternating sugar and phosphate groups, whi...
Disaster Relief Fund State of Play: In Brief
Congressional Research Service · 2025-04-09 · Reports · 5,171 words · PDF available
The Disaster Relief Fund (DRF) is one of the most-tracked single accounts funded by Congress each year. It is the primary source of funding for the federal government’s domestic general disaster relie...
United States v. Miller: Supreme Court Limits Bankruptcy Trustees’ Power to Void Tax Payments
Congressional Research Service · 2025-04-09 · Posts · 1,299 words · PDF available
On March 26, 2025, the Supreme Court in United States v. Miller limited a bankruptcy trustee’s ability to void—or recover—a tax payment to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) made by the debtor prior t...
Council on Environmental Quality Rescinds NEPA Regulations: Legal and Policy Considerations
Congressional Research Service · 2025-04-09 · Resources · 1,543 words · PDF available
The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA; 42 U.S.C. §§4321 et seq.) establishes a national policy with respect to environmental quality and the basic process for integrating environmental considera...
Filming and Photography on Federal Lands
Congressional Research Service · 2025-04-09 · Resources · 1,753 words · PDF available
Filmmakers and photographers often seek to use federal lands as locations for their works. National parks, national forests, and other federal lands have served as locations for many well-known films,...
Defense Primer: Defense Support of Civil Authorities
Congressional Research Service · 2025-04-09 · Resources · 1,583 words · PDF available
Introduction Throughout its history, the U.S. military has assisted federal, state, and local authorities in responding to homeland security incidents when the response requirements exceeded those aut...
The National Health Service Corps
Congressional Research Service · 2025-04-09 · Reports · 10,770 words · PDF available
The National Health Service Corps (NHSC) provides scholarships and loan repayments to health care providers in exchange for a period of service in a health professional shortage area (HPSA). The progr...
The Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015: Expiring Provisions
Congressional Research Service · 2025-04-08 · Resources · 1,498 words · PDF available
A decade ago, Congress authorized a cybersecurity information sharing structure that allows the federal government to collect and disseminate threat information, and enabled private sector entities to...
How Many People Work in Agriculture in the United States?
Congressional Research Service · 2025-04-08 · Resources · 1,613 words · PDF available
Introduction Multiple federal sources provide information on the agricultural labor force, but these sources measure different parts of this labor force and count workers in different ways. Some feder...
Recommendation for New U.S. Circuit and District Court Judgeships by the Judicial Conference of the United States (119th Congress)
Congressional Research Service · 2025-04-08 · Posts · 1,053 words · PDF available
Congress determines through legislative action both the size and structure of the federal judiciary, including the number of U.S. circuit and district court judgeships. As of this writing, at least si...
Section 301 and China: Mature-Node Semiconductors
Congressional Research Service · 2025-04-08 · Resources · 1,822 words · PDF available
Title III of the Trade Act of 1974 (Sections 301-310, codified at 19 U.S.C. §§2411-2420) is referred to as “Section 301.” It is one of the principal statutory means by which the United States enforces...
How Federal Grant Funds Flow
Congressional Research Service · 2025-04-08 · Infographics · 66 words · PDF available
/ How Federal Grant Funds Flow There are three phases in the life cycle of a federal grant: Pre-Award Phase,Award Phase, and Project Administration/Post-Award Phase. For additional information on gra...
Tribal Issues Overview, Resources, and Glossary: In Brief
Congressional Research Service · 2025-04-08 · Reports · 5,395 words · PDF available
This report provides a high-level introduction to tribal and other Indigenous issues as well as a brief overview of federal programs, services, and funding for federally recognized Tribes, tribal citi...
Medicaid Primer
Congressional Research Service · 2025-04-08 · Resources · 1,290 words · PDF available
Medicaid is a joint federal-state program that finances the delivery of primary and acute medical services, as well as long-term services and supports (LTSS), to a diverse low-income population, inclu...
Nontraditional Workers and Retirement Saving: An Overview and Discussion of Policy Issues
Congressional Research Service · 2025-04-07 · Reports · 12,181 words · PDF available
Many factors influence workers’ retirement preparedness, including their access to employer-sponsored pension plans. A key policy issue of interest to Congress is the extent to which access to such pl...
Guyana: An Overview
Congressional Research Service · 2025-04-07 · Resources · 1,616 words · PDF available
Located on the northern coast of South America between Suriname and Venezuela, English-speaking Guyana has characteristics similar to other Caribbean nations because of a common British colonial herit...
The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR): Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
Congressional Research Service · 2025-04-07 · Reports · 16,145 words · PDF available
According to the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), the U.S. government is the largest buyer of goods and services in the world, and executive branch agencies—led by the Department of Defense...
Legal Authority for the President to Impose Tariffs Under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA)
Congressional Research Service · 2025-04-07 · Posts · 3,686 words · PDF available
The International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA, 50 U.S.C. §§ 1701 et seq.) gives the President broad authorities to address declared emergencies concerning certain “unusual and extraordinary” ...
Congressional Court Watcher: Circuit Splits from February 2025
Congressional Research Service · 2025-04-07 · Posts · 965 words · PDF available
The U.S. Courts of Appeals for the thirteen “circuits” issue thousands of precedential decisions each year. Because relatively few of these decisions are ultimately reviewed by the Supreme Court, the ...
Child Welfare and Child Support: The Supporting America’s Children and Families Act (P.L. 118-258)
Congressional Research Service · 2025-04-07 · Reports · 24,272 words · PDF available
The Supporting America’s Children and Families Act (H.R. 9076, 118th Congress) was signed into law on January 4, 2025 (P.L. 118-258). Title I extends funding authorizations for and makes other amendme...
Searching the Federal Audit Clearinghouse: A Brief Guide
Congressional Research Service · 2025-04-07 · Resources · 1,009 words · PDF available
The Single Audit Act of 1984 (SAA), as amended by P.L. 104-156, was enacted to promote sound financial management, establish uniform requirements for grantee audits, and reduce the audit burden on gra...
Economic Effects of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act
Congressional Research Service · 2025-04-07 · Reports · 15,043 words · PDF available
The 2017 tax cuts (P.L. 115-97), popularly referred to as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), made significant changes to the federal tax system, including reducing taxes on corporations and—to a lesser...
The International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), the National Emergencies Act (NEA), and Tariffs: Historical Background and Key Issues
Congressional Research Service · 2025-04-07 · Posts · 998 words · PDF available
On April 2, 2025, President Donald J. Trump declared a national emergency and announced that he would be imposing a 10% tariff on most imports to the United States and additional duties on certain tra...
House Standing Committee Chairs and Ranking Members: 104th-118th Congresses
Congressional Research Service · 2025-04-07 · Reports · 6,907 words · PDF available
The rules of the House of Representatives (House Rule X) establish its standing committees as permanent legislative panels. Pursuant to this legislative authority, standing committees consider bills a...
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: Errors and Fraud
Congressional Research Service · 2025-04-07 · Resources · 1,562 words · PDF available
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the nation’s largest domestic food assistance program, serving 41.7 million individuals in an average month in FY2024 at a federal cost over $10...
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Regulation of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS): Background and Selected Policy Issues
Congressional Research Service · 2025-04-04 · Reports · 17,221 words · PDF available
Electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) have become increasingly popular since their emergence in the United States. ENDS is an umbrella term for various electronic tobacco products, including ele...
Census Bureau Data: Selected Access, Privacy, and Penalty Provisions in Titles 13 and 26, U.S. Code
Congressional Research Service · 2025-04-04 · Resources · 1,484 words · PDF available
The Census Bureau collects and publishes data on various population and economic characteristics under the authority of Title 13 of the U.S. Code. Additionally, Section 6103(j) of Title 26 authorizes ...
Guatemala: An Overview
Congressional Research Service · 2025-04-04 · Resources · 1,539 words · PDF available
Guatemala, the most populous country in Central America, has strived to consolidate its democracy since the 1990s. It has faced many political and social challenges, as well as human rights abuses and...
Trump Administration’s Invocation of the Defense Production Act for Mineral Production
Congressional Research Service · 2025-04-04 · Posts · 1,010 words · PDF available
On March 20, 2025, the Trump Administration issued Executive Order (E.O.) 14241, “Immediate Measures to Increase American Mineral Production.” The executive order’s goal is to “facilitate domestic min...
Turkmenistan
Congressional Research Service · 2025-04-04 · Resources · 1,508 words · PDF available
Overview Turkmenistan is an authoritarian Central Asian country rich in hydrocarbons that borders the Caspian Sea and four other countries, including Afghanistan and Iran. Since becoming independent w...
Areas of Economic Distress for EDA Activities and Programs
Congressional Research Service · 2025-04-04 · Resources · 1,631 words · PDF available
Congress has used program criteria to direct federal assistance to areas that are economically distressed or comparatively disadvantaged. Place-based measures frequently associated with economic distr...
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) FY2025 Budget Request and Appropriations
Congressional Research Service · 2025-04-03 · Resources · 1,285 words · PDF available
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is an agency in the Department of Commerce whose mission is to understand and predict changes in climate, weather, oceans, and coasts; share ...
The SALT Cap: Overview and Analysis
Congressional Research Service · 2025-04-03 · Reports · 9,363 words · PDF available
Taxpayers who itemize their deductions may reduce their federal income tax liabilities by claiming a deduction for certain state and local taxes (SALT) paid, often called the “SALT deduction.” The 201...