Railroad Retirement Board: Retirement, Survivor, Disability, Unemployment, and Sickness Benefits
Introduction
The Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) administers retirement, survivor, disability, unemployment, and sickness benefits for railroad workers and their families under the provisions of the R...
The State of U.S. Shipbuilding
Navy, DOD, defense, shipbuilding, acquisition, procurement, industrial base, shipyards, suppliers, inflation
The Federal Employees’ Compensation Act (FECA): Workers’ Compensation for Federal Employees
The Federal Employees’ Compensation Act (FECA) is the workers’ compensation program for federal employees. Like all workers’ compensation programs, FECA pays disability, survivors, and medical benefit...
H-1B, H-2A, and H-2B Temporary Worker Programs: Resources for Data and Statistics
This report provides a high-level overview of the processes through which employers can hire H-1B, H-2A, and H-2B workers and describes data available from the federal agencies involved in these proce...
Northern Ireland: The Peace Process, Ongoing Challenges, and U.S. Interests
Between 1969 and 1999, roughly 3,500 people died as a result of political violence in Northern Ireland, which is one of four component “nations” of the United Kingdom (UK). The conflict, often referre...
Congressional Commissions: Overview and Considerations for Congress
Congressional commissions are formal groups established to provide independent advice, recommend changes in public policy, study or investigate a particular problem or event, or commemorate an individ...
The Reconciliation Process: Frequently Asked Questions
When Congress adopts a budget resolution, it establishes budgetary goals for the years covered in the resolution. In some cases, it is necessary to change existing revenue, direct spending, or debt-li...
Debt Limit Policy Questions: What Are Extraordinary Measures?
Following a suspension period established by the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 (P.L. 118-5), the statutory debt limit was reinstated on January 2, 2025, at $36.1 trillion, the precise level of fed...
High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) Program
Administered by the White House’s Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), the HIDTA program provides assistance to law enforcement agencies—at the federal, state, local, and tribal levels—that...
Sequestration as a Budget Enforcement Process: Frequently Asked Questions
A sequester provides for the automatic cancellation of previously enacted spending, making largely across-the-board reductions to nonexempt programs, activities, and accounts. Sequestration is current...
AUKUS and Indo-Pacific Security
In 2021, Australia, the United Kingdom (UK), and the United States announced a trilateral security partnership intended to “deepen diplomatic, security, and defense cooperation in the Indo-Pacific reg...
NIH Indirect Costs Policy for Research Grants: Recent Developments
On February 7, 2025, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), an agency of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), published supplemental policy guidance that instituted a 15% indirect cost...