U.S. Petroleum Trade: Crude Oil Imports from Canada and Mexico and Potential Tariffs
The United States engages in petroleum trade with Canada and Mexico, including imports and exports of crude oil and petroleum products (e.g., gasoline and diesel fuel). Generally, this trade is motiva...
Imports and the Section 321 (De Minimis) Exemption: Origins, Evolution, and Use
In 1938, Congress enacted Section 321(a)(2)(C) of the Tariff Act of 1930, (codified as amended at 19 U.S.C. §1321(a)(2)(C)) to authorize the Secretary of the Treasury to waive or reduce certain duties...
Fishery Disaster Assistance
Oceanic conditions, climate, human activities, and weather events can affect fishery resources and commercial infrastructure, such as boats, shoreside processing, and ports. Congress authorized the Se...
Federal Individual Income Tax Brackets, Standard Deduction, and Personal Exemption: 1988 to 2025
This report tracks changes in federal individual income tax brackets, the standard deduction, and the personal exemption since 1988. All three tax items have been indexed for inflation since 1981. The...
Open-Source AI is a National Security Imperative
Third Way is a center-left think tank that champions modern solutions to the most challenging problems in US public policy, including the economy, climate and energy, national security, social policy,...
Mexico: Political Overview and U.S.-Mexican Relations
On October 1, 2024, Mexico—a top U.S. partner in trade, security, and migration matters—inaugurated Claudia Sheinbaum for a single, six-year presidential term. Sheinbaum—Mexico’s first female presiden...
Prevailing Wage Requirements for H-1B, H-1B1, and E-3 Workers in Specialty Occupations
Introduction
The H-1B, H-1B1, and E-3 visa programs allow for the temporary employment of foreign workers in specialty occupations in the United States. A specialty occupation is one that requires the...
Midair Collision in Washington, DC, Focuses National Attention on Aviation Safety
On the night of January 29, 2025, a crash involving a Bombardier Canadair Regional Jet 700 (CRJ-700) and a Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter occurred over the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washi...
Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies: History, Membership, and Inaugural Activities
Every four years, at noon on January 20, the President-elect is scheduled to be sworn in as President of the United States. The year before the inauguration, Congress establishes the Joint Congression...
Use of the Capitol Rotunda, Capitol Grounds, and Emancipation Hall: Concurrent Resolutions, 101st to 118th Congresses
The Capitol Rotunda and the Capitol Grounds have been used as the setting for a variety of events, ranging from memorial ceremonies and the reception of foreign dignitaries to the presentation of awar...
Fire Weather: Background and Forecasting
Fire weather refers to conditions that influence whether a fire ignites, how it behaves, and how it can be contained. Record-breaking wildfires, especially in the western United States, continue to ca...
Mirror Life: Biosafety/Biosecurity Oversight Considerations
Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is the molecule that carries genetic information of an organism. This genetic code is composed of nucleotide bases (adenine [A], thymine [T], cytosine [C], and guanine [G])...
Removal of Inspectors General: Rules, Practice, and Considerations for Congress
In 1978, Congress passed the Inspector General Act (IG Act; P.L. 95-452) with the intent to improve oversight within certain executive branch agencies. During the floor debate on the legislation, Sena...
Connecting Constituents with Federal Assistance for Community Centers
Introduction
Federal grant, loan, and technical assistance programs can support the creation of community centers run by nonprofit organizations or local, state, territorial, and tribal governments. T...