Policy Library

6,587 documents

The Declare War Clause, Part 7: The Cold War and Korean War
Congressional Research Service · 2024-09-30 · Posts · 1,315 words · PDF available
This Legal Sidebar is the seventh part of an eight-part series that discusses the Declare War Clause in Article I, Section 8, Clause 11 of the Constitution, which grants Congress the power “To declare...
The Declare War Clause, Part 8: Vietnam War Through 21st-Century Conflicts
Congressional Research Service · 2024-09-30 · Posts · 1,713 words · PDF available
This Legal Sidebar is the last in an eight-part series that discusses the Declare War Clause in Article I, Section 8, Clause 11 of the Constitution, which grants Congress the power “To declare War, gr...
Israel Kills Leader of Lebanese Hezbollah
Congressional Research Service · 2024-09-30 · Posts · 1,026 words · PDF available
On September 27, 2024, an Israeli airstrike in Beirut killed Hassan Nasrallah, the longtime Secretary-General of Lebanese Hezbollah. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said that the United States was n...
Foreign Entity of Concern Requirements in the Section 30D Clean Vehicle Credit
Congressional Research Service · 2024-09-30 · Posts · 1,194 words · PDF available
The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA; P.L. 117-169) made significant changes to the clean vehicle credit (CVC) in Section 30D of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC). The CVC allows individuals and businesses ...
Department of Education Support for School Safety Initiatives
Congressional Research Service · 2024-09-30 · Resources · 1,504 words · PDF available
Congressional interest in elementary and secondary public school safety and security remains strong. Though public school safety and security is primarily a state and local responsibility, there are f...
Kids Online Safety Act
Congressional Research Service · 2024-09-27 · Resources · 1,779 words · PDF available
On July 30, 2024, the Senate passed an amended version of S. 2073, titled the Kids Online Safety and Privacy Act. Title I of the act includes provisions similar to those in the Kids Online Safety Act ...
Intelligence Community Spending Trends
Congressional Research Service · 2024-09-26 · Reports · 6,221 words · PDF available
The intelligence budget, as considered separate and distinct from the defense budget, dates to reforms initiated in the 1970s to improve oversight and accountability of the intelligence community. The...
Iran-Supported Groups in the Middle East and U.S. Policy
Congressional Research Service · 2024-09-26 · Resources · 1,524 words · PDF available
Iran has long backed a network of armed groups in the Middle East to advance its regional interests. These groups, which include U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) and which someti...
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) Oil and Gas Program: Provisions in P.L. 11597, Tax Cuts and Jobs Act
Congressional Research Service · 2024-09-26 · Resources · 1,354 words
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (P.L. 115-97), enacted in December 2017, included provisions establishing an oil and gas program in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR or the Refuge). Under this progr...
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Campaign Finance Policy: Recent Developments
Congressional Research Service · 2024-09-25 · Posts · 1,345 words · PDF available
No federal statute or regulation specifically addresses artificial intelligence (AI) in political campaigns. The Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) and Federal Election Commission (FEC) regulations ...
Credible Fear and Defensive Asylum Processes: Frequently Asked Questions
Congressional Research Service · 2024-09-25 · Reports · 12,361 words · PDF available
Non-U.S. nationals (aliens under federal statute and regulation) subject to removal from the United States may seek asylum and other forms of humanitarian protection during formal and expedited remova...
Federal Support for School Safety and Security
Congressional Research Service · 2024-09-24 · Reports · 20,138 words · PDF available
In the United States, more than 68 million students are enrolled in public elementary and secondary (K-12) schools or degree-granting postsecondary institutions. School and campus safety and security ...
Defense Primer: Military Infrastructure Funding
Congressional Research Service · 2024-09-24 · Resources · 1,492 words · PDF available
The Department of Defense (DOD) maintains military infrastructure to support military missions around the world. This infrastructure includes buildings, roads, airfields, ports, training ranges, barra...
Pakistan’s Domestic Political Setting
Congressional Research Service · 2024-09-24 · Resources · 1,720 words · PDF available
Overview Historically, constitutionalism and parliamentary democracy have fared poorly in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, marked by power struggles among presidents, prime ministers (PMs), and army ...
Why Is the Federal Reserve Reducing Interest Rates?
Congressional Research Service · 2024-09-23 · Posts · 1,010 words · PDF available
On September 18, 2024, the Federal Reserve (Fed) reduced interest rates to a target range of 4.75%-5%. This was the first rate cut since March 2020, and the Fed expects to continue cutting rates this ...
Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) FY2024 Appropriations: Overview
Congressional Research Service · 2024-09-23 · Reports · 4,779 words · PDF available
The Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) appropriations bill includes funding for the Department of the Treasury, the Executive Office of the President, the judiciary, the District of Colu...
U.S. Secret Service Protection Mission Funding and Staffing: Fact Sheet
Congressional Research Service · 2024-09-23 · Reports · 1,743 words · PDF available
Members of Congress periodically focus on the U.S. Secret Service (USSS) and its protection mission. The USSS has been protecting Presidents, other specific federal government officials, and their fam...
Connecting Constituents to Health Information and Services: Resources for Congressional Offices
Congressional Research Service · 2024-09-23 · Reports · 6,723 words · PDF available
As part of their representational activities, Members of Congress and their staffs provide a range of information and services to constituents. Some constituent communications reflect concerns about h...
Social Security Benefit Taxation Highlights
Congressional Research Service · 2024-09-23 · Resources · 1,543 words · PDF available
At a Glance In August 2024, the Social Security system provided over $121.4 billion in monthly benefits to almost 68.1 million retired or disabled workers and their spouses, survivors, and dependents....
Commemorative Works Act: Siting Memorials in the District of Columbia
Congressional Research Service · 2024-09-23 · Resources · 1,293 words · PDF available
In 1986, Congress enacted the Commemorative Works Act (CWA) to guide the authorization, design, and placement of memorials in Washington, DC, on property administered by the National Park Service (NPS...
The U.S. Defense Industrial Base: Background and Issues for Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2024-09-23 · Reports · 18,560 words · PDF available
The U.S. defense industrial base (DIB) is the network of organizations, facilities, and resources that provides the U.S. government—particularly the Department of Defense (DOD)—with defense-related ma...
Prospects for U.S.-Saudi Nuclear Energy Cooperation
Congressional Research Service · 2024-09-23 · Resources · 1,762 words · PDF available
Overview The 118th Congress may engage the Biden Administration with regard to U.S. policy toward Saudi Arabia’s National Project for Atomic Energy and the potential for future U.S.-Saudi nuclear ener...
Military Survivor Benefit Plan: Background and Issues for Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2024-09-20 · Reports · 13,945 words · PDF available
The Department of Defense’s Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP), enacted in 1972, provides cash benefits in the form of a lifetime annuity to a surviving spouse or other eligible recipient(s) of a retiree or ...
Overview of the Truth in Lending Act
Congressional Research Service · 2024-09-19 · Resources · 1,532 words · PDF available
The Truth in Lending Act (TILA; 15 U.S.C. §§1601 et seq.) requires creditors to disclose standardized information for various financing products and offers additional consumer protections. TILA applie...
Trends in CDBG Program Funding and Grantee Participation
Congressional Research Service · 2024-09-19 · Posts · 976 words · PDF available
The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program was established under the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, P.L. 93-383. Administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Deve...
SBA’s 8(a) Business Development Program: Structure and Current Issues
Congressional Research Service · 2024-09-19 · Reports · 12,340 words · PDF available
To address discriminatory barriers in federal procurement markets for certain business owners, Congress has sought to help small “socially and economically disadvantaged” businesses through the 8(a) B...
Continuity of Congress: Preparing for the Future by Learning from the Past
Congressional Research Service · 2024-09-18 · Testimony · 11,466 words · PDF available
Continuity of Government Continuity of Congress U.S. Congress House of Representatives Senate Members of Congress Congressional Administration Representation Emergency Preparedness
Immigration Consequences of Unlawful Voting by Aliens
Congressional Research Service · 2024-09-18 · Resources · 1,836 words · PDF available
Federal immigration laws provide that aliens who have illegally voted in the United States may be either denied admission to or removed from the country. They may also, depending upon their immigratio...
Agency Budgetary Discretion: Transfers and Reprogramming
Congressional Research Service · 2024-09-18 · Infographics · 528 words · PDF available
/ Agency Budgetary Discretion Transfers and Reprogramming Congress typically appropriates funds to federal agencies in the form of separate accounts, each of which may include one or more related pro...
Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) FY2025 Appropriations: Overview
Congressional Research Service · 2024-09-18 · Reports · 4,058 words · PDF available
The Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) appropriations bill includes funding for the Department of the Treasury, the Executive Office of the President, the judiciary, the District of Colu...
Worker Participation in Employer-Sponsored Pensions: Data in Brief and Recent Trends
Congressional Research Service · 2024-09-18 · Reports · 3,451 words · PDF available
This report provides data on the percentage of U.S. workers who have access to, and who participate in, employer-sponsored pension plans. The data are from the National Compensation Survey (NCS), cond...
Memorials and Commemorative Works Outside Washington, DC: Background, Federal Role, and Options for Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2024-09-18 · Reports · 8,038 words · PDF available
Congress frequently faces questions about whether and how to commemorate people and events that have influenced the nation’s history. Congress sometimes has chosen to do so by establishing national me...
Religious Discrimination at School: Application of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
Congressional Research Service · 2024-09-17 · Posts · 2,951 words · PDF available
Since the beginning of armed hostilities between Israel and Hamas on October 7, 2023, Congress has focused significant attention on the reaction of students and schools, colleges, and universities to ...
Social Security Administration (SSA): Trends in the Annual Limitation on Administrative Expenses (LAE) Appropriation
Congressional Research Service · 2024-09-17 · Reports · 22,125 words · PDF available
The Social Security Administration (SSA) is responsible for administering two federal entitlement programs that provide income support to qualified individuals: Social Security and Supplemental Securi...
U.S. Arms Transfer Restrictions and AUKUS Cooperation
Congressional Research Service · 2024-09-17 · Resources · 1,634 words · PDF available
On September 15, 2021, Australia, the United Kingdom (UK), and the United States announced an “enhanced trilateral security partnership,” named AUKUS after the participating countries. The partnership...
Citizenship and Immigration Statuses of the U.S. Foreign-Born Population
Congressional Research Service · 2024-09-17 · Resources · 1,317 words · PDF available
The U.S. foreign-born population consists of individuals living in the United States who were not U.S. citizens at birth. In 2023, according to the American Community Survey (ACS), an estimated 47.8 m...
Legal Effect of Marijuana Rescheduling on FDA’s Regulation of Cannabis
Congressional Research Service · 2024-09-16 · Posts · 3,228 words · PDF available
Cannabis and its derivatives are regulated under various federal laws, depending on the particular characteristics and uses of the substance or product. Currently, unless an exception applies, cannabi...
SEC v. Jarkesy: Constitutionality of Administrative Enforcement Actions
Congressional Research Service · 2024-09-16 · Posts · 3,161 words · PDF available
Congress frequently delegates to agencies the power to take enforcement actions against parties who do not comply with applicable statutes or regulations that the agencies administer. For decades, Con...
The June 2024 European Parliament Elections: Outcome and Implications
Congressional Research Service · 2024-09-16 · Posts · 1,063 words · PDF available
The 27 member states of the European Union (EU) held elections for the 720 members of the European Parliament (EP) between June 6 and 9, 2024. The only directly elected EU institution, the EP represen...
Judicial Review Under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA)
Congressional Research Service · 2024-09-16 · Posts · 2,953 words · PDF available
Federal agencies administer a wide range of areas by adopting rules, adjudicating disputes and claims, and providing guidance on matters within their purview. Given the potential impact of these agenc...
Federal Courts Split on Legality of the FTC’s NonCompete Rule
Congressional Research Service · 2024-09-16 · Posts · 3,973 words · PDF available
In April 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a rule prohibiting most employers from entering into or enforcing non-compete agreements with workers, subject to exceptions for the sale of a ...
An Introduction to Poverty Measurement
Congressional Research Service · 2024-09-16 · Reports · 10,866 words · PDF available
Poverty measures convey the number or percentage of people falling below given income amounts, which are intended to represent a level of economic privation and are computed using some factually based...
Defense Production for Ukraine: Background and Issues for Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2024-09-16 · Reports · 17,965 words · PDF available
Since the commencement of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the U.S. government has engaged in efforts to organize and expand the production of defense equipment for Ukraine-re...
Preliminary Data on the IRA Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit
Congressional Research Service · 2024-09-16 · Posts · 1,300 words · PDF available
In August 2024, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released preliminary 2023 data on the residential clean energy credit (RCEC) and the energy efficient home improvement credit (EEHIC). The credits we...
Preliminary Data on the IRA Residential Clean Energy Credit
Congressional Research Service · 2024-09-16 · Posts · 1,380 words · PDF available
In August 2024, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released preliminary 2023 data on the residential clean energy credit (RCEC) and the energy efficient home improvement credit (EEHIC). The credits we...
SBA’s 8(a) Business Development Program: Legislative and Program History
Congressional Research Service · 2024-09-16 · Reports · 11,357 words · PDF available
The 8(a) Business Development Program provides participating small business owners with training, technical assistance, and contracting opportunities in the form of contract set-aside and sole-source ...
Freedom of Speech: An Overview
Congressional Research Service · 2024-09-13 · Reports · 15,213 words · PDF available
The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects “the freedom of speech,” but that protection is not absolute. The Free Speech Clause principally constrains government regulation of private speec...
Class Action Lawsuits: An Introduction
Congressional Research Service · 2024-09-13 · Resources · 1,773 words · PDF available
The general rule in American litigation is that lawsuits are brought only on behalf of the named parties. The class action mechanism is an exception to that rule that permits one or more “named plaint...
Early Voting and Mail Voting: Overview & Issues for Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2024-09-13 · Resources · 1,783 words · PDF available
Although voting in person at a polling place on Election Day is the most widespread voting practice, states and localities also offer some or all eligible voters opportunities to vote without going to...
The Federal Arbitration Act and Class Action Waivers
Congressional Research Service · 2024-09-13 · Resources · 1,897 words · PDF available
Arbitration agreements have become ubiquitous and are used in a wide range of contexts, including business-to-business contracts, employment contracts, collective bargaining agreements, and consumer c...