Overview of FY2026 Budget Request for the Census Bureau
Introduction
As a Department of Commerce agency, the Census Bureau is funded through the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) appropriations bill. This In Focus provides an overview ...
President Trump’s April 2025 Executive Order on American Seafood Competitiveness: Considerations for U.S. Fisheries
Introduction
On April 17, 2025, President Trump issued Executive Order (E.O.) 14276, “Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness,” which required multiple federal agency actions related to U.S. fisher...
Criminal Lacey Act Offenses: An Overview of Selected Issues
The Lacey Act, 16 U.S.C. §§ 3371–3378, is among the oldest federal wildlife laws. Enacted in 1900 and amended several times since, the Act imposes civil and criminal penalties for wildlife trafficking...
The International Emergency Economic Powers Act: Origins, Evolution, and Use
The International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) provides the President broad authority to regulate a variety of economic transactions following a declaration of national emergency. IEEPA, like...
Constitutional Considerations in Member Involvement in Executive Agency Actions
Members of Congress and their staffs interact with executive branch agencies for a number of purposes, including carrying out Congress’s functions of overseeing, investigating, and influencing the imp...
Stanley v. City of Sanford: Supreme Court Rejects Retiree’s Americans with Disabilities Act Claim
On June 20, 2025, the Supreme Court issued its opinion in Stanley v. City of Sanford. The Court held that a retired firefighter could not pursue a claim, under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA...
The Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program: Issues for the 119th Congress
Under Section 60102 of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA; P.L. 117-58), enacted in late 2021, Congress directed the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information (“...
U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC)
DFC, a federal agency, uses financial tools to promote private investment in less-developed countries. Its purpose, by statute, is to mobilize private capital to advance U.S. development and foreign p...
Temporary Protected Status and Deferred Enforced Departure
When civil unrest, violence, or natural disasters erupt in countries around the world, concerns arise over the ability of foreign nationals present in the United States who are from those countries to...
Offshore Wind Energy Development: Legal Framework
Technological advancement, financial incentives, and policy concerns have driven a global expansion in the development of renewable energy resources. Wind energy, in particular, is often cited as one ...
United States v. Ahlgren: A Study in Lost Cryptocurrency Tax Revenue
On December 12, 2024, in United States v. Ahlgren, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas sentenced Frank Richard Ahlgren to 24 months in prison. The Department of Justice described...
Bills, Resolutions, Nominations, and Treaties: Characteristics and Examples of Use
In each chamber of Congress, four forms of legislative measures may be introduced (or, in the case of resolutions, submitted) and acted on: bills, joint resolutions, concurrent resolutions, and resolu...
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: A Primer
The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant provides federal grants to the 50 states, District of Columbia, and territories (collectively, “states”), as well as Indian tribes. TANF ...
Financial Fraud and Scams: The Roles of Federal Law Enforcement and Financial Regulators
Reported losses associated with financial fraud and scams have been increasing, garnering attention from law enforcement, private industry, policymakers, and the general public. In 2024, the Federal T...
Private Sector: Accounting and Auditing Regulatory Structure
In the United States, accounting and auditing standards are promulgated and regulated by various federal, state, and self-regulatory agencies. Accounting and auditing standards are also influenced by ...
Salaries of Members of Congress: Congressional Votes, 1990-2025
Article I, Section 6, of the U.S. Constitution requires that compensation for Members of Congress be “ascertained by law, and paid out of the Treasury of the United States.”
Congress has relied on th...