Justice for United States Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Act: Eligibility and Funding
Since 1996, the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA; 28 U.S.C. §§ 1602-11) has authorized U.S. courts to order state sponsors of terrorism—namely, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, and Syria, and previously...
Silicon Valley Bank’s Failure and Potential Director/Officer Liability
On March 10, 2023, a California banking regulator closed Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), making it the second-largest bank by assets to fail in U.S. history. At the same time, the state regulator appointed...
The Feres Doctrine: Congress, the Courts, and Military Servicemember Lawsuits Against the United States
The Supreme Court’s 1950 decision in Feres v. United States generally bars individuals from pursuing tort lawsuits against the United States for injuries arising from active-duty military service, est...
Social Security: Selected Findings of the 2023 Annual Report
According to the 2023 report of the Board of Trustees of the Social Security Trust Funds, the program’s finances are in a similar, albeit marginally worse, position in 2023 relative to what they were ...
DHS Budget Request Analysis: FY2024
On March 9, 2023, the Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Administration released its budget request for FY2024, including $103.18 billion in total budget authority for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
DHS...
The Willow Project: History and Litigation
On March 13, 2023, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), an agency within the Department of the Interior tasked with management of federal public lands and resources, issued a new Record of Decision ap...
Energy and Minerals Provisions in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (P.L. 117-58)
On November 15, 2021, President Biden signed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA, P.L. 117-58). This broad infrastructure law addresses a range of issues, including surface transportation...
House Rules Changes Affecting Floor Proceedings in the 118th Congress (2023-2024)
As agreed to in the House, H.Res. 5, a resolution adopting the rules of the House of Representatives, provided amendments to the standing rules and separate orders that affect floor proceedings in the...
Reasonable Accommodations for Employees with Disabilities
Three federal laws provide the primary protections for employees and job applicants with disabilities. First, Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), 42 U.S.C. §§ 12111–12117, prohibits ...
2022 Nuclear Posture Review: Selected Programmatic Issues
Background
The unclassified 2022 Nuclear Posture Review (NPR), a legislatively mandated document (10 U.S.C., Ch. 24), describes the Biden Administration’s plans to continue to modernize U.S. nuclear f...
Middle East and North Africa-China Relations
The People’s Republic of China (PRC, or China) has been expanding and strengthening its diplomatic, security, commercial, and cultural ties with countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) re...
Transfer of Defense Articles: U.S. Sale and Export of U.S.-Made Arms to Foreign Entities
An extensive set of laws, regulations, policies, and procedures govern the sale and export of U.S.-origin weapons to foreign countries (“defense articles and defense services,” officially). Congress h...