Policy Library

6,587 documents

Senate Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper: A Primer
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-13 · Resources · 1,366 words · PDF available
The Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper (Sergeant at Arms) is an elected officer of the Senate and is the chamber’s primary law enforcement and protocol official, responsible for the protection, security,...
The Middle East: Selected Issues for the 119th Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-13 · Resources · 1,711 words · PDF available
Developments in the Middle East during 2023 and 2024 transformed the security landscape of the region with profound and still unfolding implications for the United States. Changes in the relative capa...
Housing Issues in the 118th Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-13 · Reports · 29,693 words · PDF available
Housing affordability is a perennial policy issue, but it has become particularly salient in recent years in light of notable increases in house prices and rents, rising mortgage interest rates, and h...
Foreign Relations Reauthorization: Background and Issues
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-13 · Resources · 1,462 words · PDF available
Introduction The Constitution gives Congress the power to provide funding, authorize programs, and conduct oversight with respect to the implementation of foreign policy. In exercising these powers, C...
Tariffs and Federal Finances: A Thumbnail History
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-10 · Posts · 1,258 words · PDF available
Tariffs and other customs charges were the largest source of federal revenues in the 18th and 19th centuries. Tariffs are taxes on imported goods. This Insight offers a brief history of U.S. tariff po...
Farm Bill Primer: Hemp Industry Support and Regulation
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-10 · Resources · 1,766 words · PDF available
Hemp is a variety or cultivar of Cannabis sativa—the same plant as marijuana—grown to produce nonpsychoactive food, beverage, consumer, and industrial products. The 2018 farm bill (Agriculture Improve...
FDA Oversight of Food Safety and Foodborne Illness Outbreaks
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-10 · Resources · 1,662 words · PDF available
Background The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that foodborne pathogens account for 48 million illnesses, 128,000 hospitalizations, and 3,000 deaths per year. In 2024, the Fo...
FY2025 NDAA: TRICARE Coverage of Gender-Affirming Care
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-10 · Posts · 1,233 words · PDF available
Background The Department of Defense (DOD) administers a statutory health entitlement (under Title 10, Chapter 55, of the U.S. Code), through the Military Health System (MHS). The MHS offers health ca...
Members’ Representational Allowance: History and Usage
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-10 · Reports · 13,055 words · PDF available
Members of the House of Representatives have one consolidated allowance, the Members’ Representational Allowance (MRA), with which to operate their offices. The first full year of the MRA was the seco...
Canada: Background and U.S. Relations
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-10 · Reports · 33,608 words · PDF available
The United States and Canada are close partners, bound together by a 5,525-mile border as well as by shared history and values. The countries maintain long-standing mutual security commitments under N...
Department of Defense-Minority Business Development Agency November 2024 Memorandum of Understanding
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-10 · Posts · 1,015 words · PDF available
On November 19, 2024, the Department of Defense (DOD’s) Office of the Under Secretary for Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment and the Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency ...
Tribal Self-Determination Authorities: Overview and Issues for Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-10 · Reports · 21,797 words · PDF available
Congress has broad authority over issues relating to federally recognized Tribes (hereinafter, Tribes), and its approach to tribal issues has fluctuated over time. Beginning in the 1970s, Congress est...
Turkey (Türkiye), the PKK, and U.S. Involvement: Chronology
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-10 · Resources · 1,556 words · PDF available
Turkey’s (alt. Türkiye) decades-long struggle with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (Kurdish acronym PKK) has fostered both cooperation and contention between the United States and Turkey. The PKK, a U.S....
Exchange Rates and Currency Manipulation
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-10 · Resources · 1,599 words · PDF available
At various points over the past two decades, some Members of Congress have expressed concerns that other countries are engaging in currency manipulation—that is, purposefully using exchange rate polic...
Defense Primer: Intelligence Support to Military Operations
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-10 · Resources · 1,301 words · PDF available
The statutory responsibility for resourcing and coordinating the activities of the Intelligence Community (IC) in support of military activities belongs to two senior officials: The Director of Natio...
U.S.-Japan Critical Minerals Agreement
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-08 · Resources · 1,669 words · PDF available
On March 28, 2023, the United States and Japan signed a critical minerals agreement (CMA) covering five key minerals related to the production of batteries for clean vehicles (commonly referred to as ...
The Defense Innovation Ecosystem
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-08 · Resources · 1,633 words · PDF available
A wide range of authorities, programs, and organizations across the U.S. government support and manage technological aspects of national defense. In particular, such efforts seek to preserve or expand...
Size of the U.S. House of Representatives
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-08 · Posts · 992 words · PDF available
The size of the U.S. House of Representatives is set by federal statute at 435 Representatives (excluding nonvoting seats held by Delegates and the Resident Commissioner). This number has been constan...
FY2025 NDAA: Status of Legislative Activity
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-08 · Posts · 1,134 words · PDF available
On December 23, 2024, President Joe Biden signed into law the Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025 (FY2025 NDAA; P.L. 118-159). This pr...
Cybersecurity: Selected Cyberattacks, 20122024
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-08 · Reports · 7,860 words · PDF available
Many Members of Congress have raised concerns over the frequency, types, and impacts of cyber incidents during hearings, speeches, and in legislation. Cyber incidents affect nearly every national enti...
Intercity Passenger Rail: Federal Policy and Programs
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-08 · Reports · 9,091 words · PDF available
The federal government has been involved in preserving and improving passenger rail service since 1970, when the bankruptcies of several major railroads prompted Congress to create Amtrak—officially, ...
Cybersecurity: A Primer
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-08 · Resources · 1,613 words · PDF available
Introduction The information technology that Americans use to chat with loved ones and make purchases are the same that can be turned against them to deny access to services, steal their information, ...
Federal Disaster Assistance for Agriculture
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-08 · Resources · 1,157 words
Several federal assistance programs are designed to address agricultural losses following a natural disaster through mechanisms including insurance, direct payments for loss, loans, and cost share to ...
Global Food Security: Selected Multilateral Efforts
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-08 · Resources · 1,753 words · PDF available
Congress may consider the role of multilateral institutions and initiatives in addressing record levels of global food insecurity. The United States, the largest government donor of international food...
Cuba: U.S. Policy Overview
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-08 · Resources · 1,716 words · PDF available
Cuba is a one-party authoritarian state with a government that has sharply restricted freedoms of expression, association, assembly, and other basic human rights since shortly after the 1959 Cuban Rev...
Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania: Background and U.S.-Baltic Relations
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-07 · Reports · 11,597 words · PDF available
Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, often referred to as the Baltic states, are democracies and close U.S. allies. Strong U.S. relations with these three states are rooted in history. The United States ne...
FY2025 NDAA: Summary of Funding Authorizations
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-07 · Posts · 1,456 words · PDF available
Of the $895.2 billion requested in the FY2025 President’s budget for discretionary activities within the national defense budget function, approximately $883.7 billion fell within the scope of propose...
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): Benefit Theft Through Electronic Benefit Card Skimming
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-07 · Posts · 997 words · PDF available
SNAP provides federally funded benefits (not the same as cash) on Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards to eligible households to purchase eligible food items from authorized retailers. The Consoli...
Democracy and Human Rights in U.S. Foreign Policy: Evolution, Tools, and Considerations for Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-07 · Reports · 22,975 words · PDF available
U.S. law declares the promotion and protection of democracy, human rights, and fundamental freedoms to be “principal” and “fundamental” goals of U.S. foreign policy. Congress has debated matters of de...
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Civil Works: FAQs on Organization and Efficiency Reviews
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-07 · Reports · 6,980 words · PDF available
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), within the Department of Defense (DOD), is a public engineering organization with both civil works and military functions. What Are USACE’s Civil Works Roles...
Farm Bill Primer: SNAP and Nutrition Title Programs
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-07 · Resources · 1,228 words · PDF available
The Nutrition title of the farm bill typically reauthorizes a number of nutrition or domestic food assistance programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly the Food...
Disclosure of Federal Tax Return Information to Congressional Committees
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-07 · Reports · 7,289 words · PDF available
Section 6103 of the Internal Revenue Code establishes that federal tax returns and return information are confidential unless a statute expressly authorizes disclosure. Congress has established some e...
The North Atlantic Treaty: U.S. Legal Obligations and Congressional Authorities
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-06 · Posts · 2,468 words · PDF available
On July 21, 1949, the Senate passed a resolution giving its advice and consent to the ratification of the North Atlantic Treaty, the multilateral collective security agreement that established the Nor...
The Presidential Inaugural Parade: Past Practices and Congressional Considerations
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-06 · Resources · 1,169 words · PDF available
Every four years, following the swearing-in ceremony, inaugural address, and congressional luncheon at the U.S. Capitol, the newly sworn in President traditionally travels to the White House and obser...
Supporting America’s Children and Families Act (H.R. 9076)
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-06 · Posts · 1,097 words · PDF available
The Supporting America’s Children and Families Act (H.R. 9076) was signed by the President on January 4, 2025. The bill passed the House on September 18, 2024, by a vote of 405-10 and was approved in ...
FTC Revives Enforcement of the RobinsonPatman Act
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-06 · Posts · 3,700 words · PDF available
On December 12, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) sued Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits (Southern), the largest U.S. distributor of wine and spirits, alleging that the company violated the Ro...
Jimmy Carter: Electoral Context and Background on Campaign Finance and Elections Policy
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-06 · Posts · 1,088 words · PDF available
James Earl “Jimmy” Carter, Jr., the 39th President of the United States and former Georgia Governor, died on December 29, 2024. As Congress prepares for a state funeral, this CRS Insight discusses sel...
Congressional Court Watcher: Circuit Splits from December 2024
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-06 · Posts · 1,092 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 ...
Presidential State Funerals: Past Practices and Current Considerations
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-06 · Posts · 967 words · PDF available
On December 29, 2024, former President James Earl “Jimmy” Carter, Jr. died. In the tradition of past presidential deaths, President Carter will receive a state funeral (designated as a National Specia...
The TRIO Programs: A Primer
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-06 · Reports · 14,749 words · PDF available
The TRIO programs are the primary federal programs providing support services to disadvantaged students to promote achievement in postsecondary education. Although there are now six distinct TRIO prog...
Considering Legislation on the House Floor: Common Practices in Brief
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-06 · Reports · 3,944 words · PDF available
The House of Representatives considers legislation under different sets of procedures. Because the House follows certain procedures frequently, the types of questions Members will vote on, as well as ...
Defense Primer: The NDAA Process
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-06 · Resources · 1,549 words · PDF available
The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) provides authorization of appropriations for the Department of Defense (DOD), nuclear weapons programs of the Department of Energy, and other defense-rela...
Defense Primer: Navigating the NDAA
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-06 · Resources · 1,465 words · PDF available
The annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) has a history of regular passage. FY2025 marked the 64th consecutive fiscal year for which an annual defense authorization was enacted. Many policy...
Global Human Rights: Security Forces Vetting (“Leahy Laws”)
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-06 · Resources · 1,885 words · PDF available
The “Leahy Laws” prohibit U.S. assistance to foreign security force units when there is credible information that the unit has committed a “gross violation of human rights” (GVHR). Pursuant to the law...
Law Enforcement and Technology: The “Lawful Access” Debate
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-06 · Resources · 1,610 words · PDF available
Technological advances present both opportunities and challenges for U.S. law enforcement. For example, some developments have increased the quantity and availability of digital content and informatio...
Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR) Methodology for Temporary Employment of H-2A Nonimmigrants in the United States
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-06 · Resources · 1,519 words · PDF available
Introduction The H-2A visa program allows for the temporary admission of foreign workers to the United States to perform agricultural labor or services of a seasonal or temporary nature. (See CRS Repo...
Defense Primer: Budgeting for National and Defense Intelligence
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-06 · Resources · 1,517 words · PDF available
Introduction Intelligence Community (IC) programs include the resources (i.e., money and manpower) to accomplish intelligence-related goals and responsibilities as defined by the United States Code (U...
Greenhouse Gas Mitigation: CRS Products
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-06 · Reports · 2,224 words · PDF available
Members of Congress have historically expressed a range of perspectives regarding climate change issues. Legislative proposals have included carbon pricing frameworks (e.g., carbon taxes or cap-and-tr...
Introduction to Financial Services: The Federal Reserve
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-06 · Resources · 1,739 words · PDF available
Structure of the Federal Reserve The Federal Reserve Act of 1913 created the Federal Reserve (Fed) as the nation’s central bank. The Fed is composed of 12 regional Federal Reserve banks overseen by a ...
Suspension of the Rules in the House: Principal Features
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-06 · Reports · 928 words · PDF available
Suspension of the rules is a procedure that the House of Representatives often uses on the floor to act expeditiously on legislation. This procedure is governed primarily by clause 1 of House Rule XV....