Policy Library

7,020 documents

Montana’s TikTok Ban Goes Before the Ninth Circuit
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-17 · Posts · 1,477 words · PDF available
On November 30, 2023, a federal district court issued a preliminary injunction barring enforcement of a law banning TikTok’s Montana operations. Without the district court’s preliminary injunction, th...
No Surprises Act (NSA) Independent Dispute Resolution (IDR) Process Data Analysis for 2023
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-17 · Reports · 9,600 words · PDF available
The No Surprises Act (NSA), part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (P.L. 116-260), established various consumer protections related to surprise billing—that is, circumstances in which indiv...
FY2025 NDAA: Reproductive Health Care Provisions
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-17 · Posts · 1,525 words · PDF available
Background The Department of Defense (DOD) administers a health entitlement (under Title 10, Chapter 55, of the U.S. Code) through the Military Health System (MHS). The MHS offers health benefits and ...
Israel-Hamas Cease-Fire in Gaza
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-17 · Posts · 1,188 words · PDF available
After 15 months of war in Gaza, Israel and Hamas (a U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organization, or FTO) have agreed to begin the first phase of a hostage-prisoner exchange and possible three-phase...
Responses to Midnight Rulemaking: Legal Issues
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-17 · Posts · 2,834 words · PDF available
Federal agencies often increase rulemaking activity during the final months of a presidential administration—a phenomenon commonly known as “midnight rulemaking.” For example, since Election Day, Nove...
Overview of Child Support Enforcement (CSE) Access to Taxpayer Data and Recent Law (Title II of P.L. 118-258)
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-17 · Posts · 1,097 words · PDF available
The Supporting America’s Children and Families Act (P.L. 118-258) was enacted on January 4, 2025. Title II of the law, which passed the House on September 18, 2024, 405-10, and was approved in the Sen...
Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) and U.S. Trade Policy
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-17 · Resources · 1,700 words · PDF available
Intellectual property rights (IPR) protection and enforcement are key components of U.S. trade policy, and the United States plays a leading role in global IPR trade (Figure 1). Congress has a constit...
An encounter with Jimmy Carter: Unveiling the Worldwide Governance Indicators
Brookings Institution · 2025-01-16 · Article · 14,325 words · PDF available
Daniel Kaufmann reflects on an encounter with Jimmy Carter that helped launch the Worldwide Governance Indicators.
How can government use AI systems better?
Brookings Institution · 2025-01-16 · Article · 1,361 words · PDF available
If governments are to harness AI's transformative potential, they must prioritize transparency, mitigate risk, and preserve a vital role for human decisionmaking.
The case for consent in the AI data gold rush
Brookings Institution · 2025-01-16 · Article · 94,663 words · PDF available
Courtney Radsch examines how AI competition has changed web scraping consent norms, calling for an opt-in standard to protect publishers.
California’s Politicians Didn’t Start the Fires. They Made Them Worse
Heritage Foundation · 2025-01-16 · Commentary · 941 words
COMMENTARY BYDiana Furchtgott-Roth@DFR_EconomicsDirector, Center for Energy, Climate, and EnvironmentDiana is Director of the Center for Energy, Climate and Environment and the Herbert and Joyce Morg...
5 Things Pete Hegseth Could Do if He Is Confirmed
Heritage Foundation · 2025-01-16 · Commentary · 998 words
COMMENTARY BYWilson Beaver@WilsonCBeaverSenior Policy Advisor, Allison Center for National SecurityWilson is a Senior Policy Advisor for Defense Budgeting and NATO Policy at The Heritage Foundation.P...
The Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System: Understanding the Data
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-16 · Posts · 1,038 words · PDF available
In general, vaccines undergo rigorous testing for safety through clinical trials before they are licensed (i.e., approved) or authorized for use by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These trials...
January 2025 Los Angeles County Wildfires
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-16 · Resources · 1,538 words · PDF available
Introduction Starting on January 7, 2025, 10 wildfires—the Palisades, Eaton, Hurst, Woodley, Lidia, Sunset, Kenneth, Archer, Auto, and Little Mountain Fires—began in Los Angeles (LA) County, Californi...
Tribal Lands: Overview and Issues for Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-16 · Reports · 13,259 words · PDF available
Throughout history, the United States has established or changed the status of lands associated with federally recognized Tribes (Tribes). Many Tribes have associated lands (tribal lands), including t...
Generalized System of Preferences (GSP): FAQ
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-16 · Resources · 1,598 words · PDF available
What is the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP)? GSP is a trade preference program that provided nonreciprocal, duty-free treatment for certain U.S. imports from eligible developing countries. GSP...
Homeowners Insurance and California Wildfires
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-16 · Posts · 1,049 words · PDF available
Insurance premiums for homeowners across the United States have significantly increased over the past few years, with some homeowners encountering difficulties in obtaining insurance. While such marke...
Domestic Content Requirements for Electricity Tax Credits in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-16 · Reports · 9,939 words · PDF available
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA; P.L. 117-169) modified or enacted four tax credits for the generation of electricity from renewable or “clean” sources. The modified tax credits—the energy in...
Syria needs sanctions relief now
Brookings Institution · 2025-01-15 · Article · 988 words
If Syria’s still-nascent transition is to succeed, a new government will need to move urgently to repair Syria’s devastated economy.
The Los Angeles fires and America’s overwhelmed water infrastructure
Brookings Institution · 2025-01-15 · Article · 823 words
TheLos Angeles firesare already one of the most devastating disasters in California—and national—history. Fanned by high winds and fed by a prolonged drought, the blazes rapidly spread across thousand...
Iraqi and Afghan Special Immigrant Visa Programs
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-15 · Reports · 16,623 words · PDF available
Congress has enacted a series of legislative provisions since 2006 to enable certain Iraqi and Afghan nationals to become U.S. lawful permanent residents (LPRs). These provisions make certain Iraqis a...
The North Atlantic Right Whale: Conservation Trade-Offs with Selected Marine Sectors and Considerations for Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-15 · Resources · 1,697 words · PDF available
The North Atlantic right whale (NARW; Eubalaena glacialis; Figure 1) is an endangered large whale species found in the Atlantic Ocean near the United States and Western Europe. Due to historic whaling...
Small Business Research Programs: Overview and Issues for Reauthorization in the 119th Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-15 · Resources · 1,552 words
Small businesses are often viewed as being critical to the economy—creating jobs, improving productivity, and advancing innovation. Given the perceived importance of small businesses, Congress has a l...
Western Hemisphere: Issues for the 119th Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-15 · Resources · 1,470 words · PDF available
The Trump Administration’s 2020 Western Hemisphere Strategic Framework asserted that “deep geographic, economic, and cultural ties make the region critical to United States national security, peace, a...
Inaugural Tickets: Past Practices and Considerations for 2025
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-15 · Resources · 902 words · PDF available
Since the 20th Amendment was ratified, the oath of office for President of the United States has been administered every four years on January 20. The next presidential inauguration is scheduled to ta...
Regulating PFAS Under the Clean Water Act
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-15 · Resources · 1,783 words · PDF available
In recent decades, improvements in monitoring technologies and analytical methods, combined with health research, have increased national attention to the presence of emerging contaminants in surface ...
U.S. Army’s Maneuver Short-Range Air Defense (MSHORAD) System
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-15 · Resources · 1,371 words · PDF available
Background The Army is developing a new maneuver short-range air defense system, or M-SHORAD, to perform short-range air defense (SHORAD). The Army defines SHORAD as capabilities that provide air defe...
Russia’s War Against Ukraine: European Union Responses and U.S.EU Relations
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-15 · Posts · 1,081 words · PDF available
The 27-member European Union (EU) has implemented various policy responses to Russia’s war against Ukraine. EU actions and coordination with the United States may be of interest to Congress given the ...
CDC’s Updated Dog Importation Rule
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-15 · Posts · 1,037 words · PDF available
On August 1, 2024, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) final rule on the import of dogs into the United States (42 C.F.R. §§71.50-51)...
Marin Audubon Society v. Federal Aviation Administration: D.C. Circuit Challenges CEQ’s Authority to Issue NEPA Regulations
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-15 · Posts · 3,182 words · PDF available
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit (D.C. Circuit) recently made headlines when it declared that the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) lacked authority to issue judicially enforceable ...
Regulatory Sandboxes at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-15 · Resources · 1,568 words · PDF available
Policymakers in recent years have considered implementing regulatory sandboxes in financial services. Regulatory sandboxes are frameworks set up by regulators where firms are exempt from legal risk of...
Lying in State or Honor in the U.S. Capitol by Non-Members of Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-15 · Posts · 997 words · PDF available
From January 7 to January 9, 2025, President James Earl “Jimmy” Carter Jr. lay in state in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda. On December 30, 2024, House and Senate leaders issued a joint letter to announce th...
Social Security: Cost-of-Living Adjustments
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-15 · Reports · 4,545 words · PDF available
To compensate for the effects of inflation, Social Security recipients usually receive an annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). According to parameters outlined in the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C...
How is climate change impacting home insurance markets?
Brookings Institution · 2025-01-14 · Article · 22,333 words · PDF available
Fowlie, Boomhower, Richter, and Fujii-Rajani investigate why homeowners’ insurance premiums are rising, what role climate change is playing, and how policymakers might respond.
How do JCT and CBO differ in modeling expiring TCJA tax provisions?
Brookings Institution · 2025-01-14 · Article · 4,267 words · PDF available
The Hutchins Center explains how JCT and CBO each estimate the impacts of the expiration of the TCJA at the end of 2025.
The hidden STEM gender gap: Why progress at top universities masks a growing crisis
Brookings Institution · 2025-01-14 · Article · 1,364 words
Joseph R. Cimpian and Jo R. King examine the widening STEM gender gap at colleges serving lower math achievers.
Don’t Save TikTok, Save America From TikTok
Heritage Foundation · 2025-01-14 · Commentary · 1,174 words
COMMENTARY BYJeff M. Smith@Cold_Peace_Director, Asian Studies CenterJeff Smith is Director of The Heritage Foundation’s Asian Studies Center.Tiffany Cianci of Maryland runs a TikTok live stream outsi...
U.S. Foreign Assistance to Latin America and the Caribbean: FY2025 Appropriations
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-14 · Reports · 11,973 words · PDF available
The United States provides foreign assistance to Latin American and Caribbean countries to support development and other U.S. objectives. The emphasis of U.S. policy in the region has shifted over tim...
The Peace Corps
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-14 · Resources · 1,438 words · PDF available
The Peace Corps is an independent agency that sends American volunteers to serve at the grassroots level in developing countries in order to advance three goals: promote world peace and friendship by ...
Direct Loan Program Student Loan Terms and Conditions: By the Numbers
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-14 · Infographics · 536 words · PDF available
/ Direct Loan Program Student Loan Terms and Conditions: The William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) program is the single largest source of federal financial assistance to support students’...
Introduction to Financial Services: “Regulatory Relief”
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-14 · Resources · 1,639 words · PDF available
The 119th Congress is considering whether to provide “regulatory relief” in the area of financial services. This In Focus gives a broad overview of the policy trade-offs inherent in relief and the for...
Water Resources Development Acts: Primer and Action in the 118th Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-14 · Resources · 1,644 words · PDF available
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is a Department of Defense agency that, among other missions, develops water resource projects, principally to improve navigable channels, reduce flood and sto...
Recent Developments in Everglades Restoration
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-14 · Resources · 1,529 words · PDF available
Overview What Is the Everglades? The Everglades is a unique network of wetlands in South Florida. By the end of the 20th century, the ecosystem had degraded and was approximately half its historical s...
FDA Regulation of Laboratory-Developed Tests (LDTs)
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-14 · Resources · 1,805 words · PDF available
Laboratory-developed tests (LDTs) are a class of in vitro diagnostic (IVD) device that is designed, manufactured, and used within a single laboratory. LDTs may be used in the context of identifying ev...
EV Charging Infrastructure: Frequently Asked Questions
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-14 · Reports · 2,695 words · PDF available
This report addresses frequently asked questions related to expanding plug-in electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure. The first set of questions examines the current availability of EV charging...
Defense Primer: Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security
Congressional Research Service · 2025-01-14 · Resources · 1,462 words · PDF available
The Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security (USD(I&S)) is a civilian official, appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate, who reports directly to the Secretary of Defense...
How much did TCJA raise investment?
Brookings Institution · 2025-01-13 · Article · 13,295 words · PDF available
Ahead of the Trump tax cuts expiring in 2025, William Gale examines the limited effect the cuts had on corporate investment.
The external wealth of nations database
Brookings Institution · 2025-01-13 · Article · 1,840 words
Gian Maria Milesi-Ferretti and Philip Lane curate a database on external financial assets and liabilities for more than 200 countries. The Hutchins Center is now making the entire dataset widely avail...
How do China and America think about the energy transition?
Brookings Institution · 2025-01-13 · Article · 25,769 words · PDF available
China and the United States have very different energy systems and respective advantages and disadvantages in the clean energy transition.
External Wealth of Nations complete update, 2023
Brookings Institution · 2025-01-13 · Article · 2,375 words
This post completes the year-end 2023 External Wealth of Nations, which assembles data on external claims and liabilities of economies around the world.