The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS): Background and FY2025 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...
The Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) System and Selected Policy Issues
The Federal Home Loan Bank Act of 1932 (FHLB Act; P.L. 72-304, 47 Stat. 128) created the Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) system, which was established to address frequent liquidity shortfalls, or cash f...
Management of the Colorado River: Water Allocations, Drought, and the Federal Role
The Colorado River Basin covers more than 246,000 square miles in seven U.S. states (Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, and California) and Mexico. Pursuant to federal law, the Bure...
Economic development, governance, and human security after the Arab uprisings
Regime responses have disempowered societies, insulating Arab autocrats from citizen demands for economic inclusion, accountability, and responsive governance.
Federal Disaster Assistance for Businesses: Summaries and Policy Options
Following natural disasters and other emergencies, businesses often face damage to property, inventory, and other assets. Businesses may also face challenges related to infrastructure damage, disrupti...
Agriculture Appropriations: Earmarks Disclosed from FY2022 to FY2024
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), through its programs and responsibilities, supports and promotes U.S. agriculture, rural development, human nutrition, agricultural research, natural resourc...
Russia’s Central Bank Assets
After Russia launched a full-scale war on Ukraine in February 2022, the Group of 7 countries (G7, including Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States) announced ...
FY2025 Appropriations Status: In Brief
Each year, Congress makes decisions about appropriations to provide discretionary funding for a broad range of government activities related to defense, transportation, education, the environment, hom...
Military Suicide Prevention and Response
Background
When a servicemember dies by suicide, those close to the member often experience shock, anger, guilt, and sorrow. As such, a servicemember’s suicide may adversely impact the wellbeing of hi...
ERISA: Legal Framework and Recent Supreme Court Litigation
As part of federal efforts to protect retirement income security and promote access to affordable health care for working Americans, retirees, and their families, private-sector employee benefit plans...
Navy DDG-51 and DDG-1000 Destroyer Programs: Background and Issues for Congress
The Arleigh Burke (DDG-51) class destroyer program is one of the longest-running shipbuilding programs in Navy history. The Navy began procuring DDG-51s, also known as Aegis destroyers, in FY1985, and...
Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy/Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ASTP/ONC)
Information technology (IT), or the use of devices such as computers to handle electronic data, has existed for decades, but it has only recently become accessible to many Americans in a health care c...
Nationwide Injunctions Under the First Trump Administration and the Biden Administration
In recent years, courts, stakeholders, legal commentators, and lawmakers have engaged in significant legal and policy debate related to nationwide injunctions. The term nationwide injunction is not a ...