United States National Symbols: Congressional Designation and Past Practices
As codified in Title 36 of the U.S. Code, Congress has designated a national anthem (“The Star-Spangled Banner”), a national motto (“In God we trust”), a national floral emblem (the rose), a national ...
The Indian Prime Minister’s 2025 Visit to China and India-China Relations
On August 31, 2025, India’s Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi traveled to the People’s Republic of China (PRC, or China), where he met PRC leader Xi Jinping. The visit—Modi’s first to China in seven y...
Second Trump Administration Releases First Unified Agenda, Listing Upcoming Regulations
On September 4, 2025, the second Trump Administration released the Spring 2025 Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions. The Unified Agenda, which is published twice a year, is a governme...
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 ...