Disasters and the Federal Budget
Increasing frequency and severity of wildfires, storms, floods, and droughts, as well as the recent COVID-19 pandemic have led to questions about the federal government’s role with regard to these inc...
Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo and the Future of Agency Interpretations of Law
“Chevron is overruled”: On June 28, 2024, the Supreme Court overruled the Chevron framework in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, holding that the Chevron framework violated Section 706 of the Admi...
South Korean Political Crisis: Martial Law and Impeachment
In December 2024, South Korea plunged into a political crisis that could have significant implications for U.S. interests, including U.S. policies toward North Korea, China, Japan, and Russia. At arou...
Resources for Financial Market Data
The U.S. financial system contains large and active markets for stocks, bonds, and commodities, as well as digital assets (e.g., cryptocurrencies) and other financial instruments. This report describe...
Defense Primer: U.S. Ballistic Missile Defense
Ballistic missiles fielded by China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia could threaten the U.S. homeland, U.S. forces abroad, and U.S. allies and partners. These missiles constitute one subset of the diver...
Russia’s War Against Ukraine: U.S. Policy and the Role of Congress
On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of neighboring Ukraine, which Russia first invaded in 2014 and has partially occupied for more than a decade. Russia’s effort to change inte...
The Captures Clause (Part 1): Overview, Historical Context, and Drafting History
This Legal Sidebar is the first installment in a two-part series discussing Congress’s power to “make rules concerning Captures on Land and Water” derived from Article I, Section 8, clause 11 of the C...
Servicemember to Veteran Transition
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Information as of December 20, 2024. Prepared by Kristy N. Kamarck, Specialist in Military Personnel; Sidath Viranga Panangala, Specialist
in Veterans Policy; and Jamie Bush, Visual Information Spec...
Indigenous Knowledge and Data: Overview and Issues for Congress
Indigenous peoples have inhabited North America for millennia, developing deep cultural, spiritual, and subsistence ties to the landscape. Due to their historical connections, many Indigenous peoples ...
Electing the Speaker of the House of Representatives: Frequently Asked Questions
Current practice for electing a Speaker, either at the start of a Congress or in the event of a vacancy (e.g., death or resignation), is by roll call vote, during which Members state aloud the name of...